Silken Sheets
by Born of Ashes
Summary: It was time for a change. One fateful day in Diagon Alley would change everything. She saw him, Draco Malfoy, miserable and trapped. She knew she had to do something but would it be her greatest or her worst decision to help him. Only time would tell. Rated M for later Chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Silken Sheets

Chapter 1

Three years, that's how long it had been since she had someone to warm her bed at night. Three years since she felt the presence of a man buried deep within her delicious folds while she clawed his back, moaned his name during her release. Three years since she woke up with someone to cuddle afterwards. Three years since the love of her life, Jarrod McMichael, lied dead in her arms after being hit with the ultimate unforgivable.

Artemis once again woke up in her bed lonely, cold and wanting. She was twenty-one now. It was well passed time to move on and find someone new to warm her bed and her heart. No longer would she fall into the mattress by herself after a long night's work with her fellow aurors, hunting down some of the last remaining Death Eaters that had yet to be caught. Today things would start to change. Artemis Rene Jameson was back on the market and on the prowl.

After finally deciding to get out of bed she ate breakfast and took a long shower. Once she was out, she dried her shoulder length, auburn hair; she put on some nude lip gloss and framed her beautiful violet eyes in pale pink eye shadow and brown mascara and eyeliner. She got dressed in a mint green robes that went with her hair perfectly and paired them with some peep toe platform heels of the same color. She grabbed her purse and apparated to Diagon Alley.

* * *

Diagon Alley was finally returned back to its majestic beauty about two years ago, once everyone finally came out of hiding and the owners managed to rebuild what Voldermort and his minions had so easily destroyed. Sure it wasn't exactly the same, but it was still beautiful.

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was doing quite well after the war even without Fred. It took George a while to get out of his slump after losing his brother, but running the shop really helped him not focus so much on it. Without Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes it probably would have taken the wizarding world that much longer to get out of its own depressing slump. Its products made even the most miserable people smile at least for a little while.

Artemis was sitting outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour eating some rum ripple ice cream just watching the witches and wizards pass by in their fancy robes. The wizarding world was certainly a very eclectic mix. Looking up and down Diagon Alley she couldn't help but smile a bittersweet smile. Life had gotten better since the end of the war but it would never truly be the same as before Voldermort's second rise to power.

Almost all of the other shops had reopened and those who didn't were filled with entrepreneurs who were ready to open the shops of their dreams. Looking at Diagon Alley now you wouldn't even know the wizarding war had even happened if it weren't for the missing family members that would at one time accompany young ones to their Hogwarts' shopping or whatever they were here to do.

It was sad really, knowing what many of the parentless children were going through; Artie had lost her own parents during the first wizarding war when she was only two years old, which in turn led her to be raised by her crazy Aunt Louise. Come to think of it, what would she think of Artie's little situation? She would probably jump and do that little jig of hers she did when she was excited. Aunt Louise believed that Artie had been moping around for too long as it was. Aunt Louise believed that the best cure for anything depressing was a good stiff dick. Funny how Artie was thinking the same exact thing this morning though she would never tell Aunt Louise that.

Aunt Louise sent her one of her infamous "You need a good stiff dick in your life, I want great nieces and nephews before I die letters" that Artie just loved to receive not three days ago, note the sarcasm rolling off that statement. Aunt Louise was in her early eighties and was old enough to know better but too old to care type of people. Hell when she met Artie's partner Emile Lebouf she even said while patting him on the butt, "Why Artie this young man is strong and healthy and I'm sure he's got a good stiff dick, why don't you use it to your advantage and get out of your little slump?"

While Emile was handsome and all; he had a girlfriend at the time and to this day still does. Aunt Louise's heart was in the right place at the time, but it thoroughly scared him of ever accompanying back to Aunt Louise's house for their lunch break. One thing was for sure, her next relationship would not meet Aunt Louise right away and surely not before getting a strong warning beforehand. Jarrod though didn't freak out when Aunt Louise had pulled the same thing on him; in fact it didn't bother him in the least even though it was the first time encountering each other. That was one more thing she loved about him, he didn't take her crazy aunt personally. He just shrugged it off.

* * *

People watching, you could learn so much about the world by just watching it pass by. Some couples walked hand in hand, smiling at each other with love in their eyes that couldn't be faked even if they wanted to, while others walked with their hands in their pockets looking completely miserable and anywhere but their partners. It was all a façade for many of them really. While it wasn't as common as it was in the old days, many purebloods still had arranged marriages for their children. If the children were lucky they would truly fall in love with each other, or at least learn to love each other, but many times that was not the case at all.

That's when she saw him, looking anywhere but at the beautiful woman in front of him. Artemis had read all about the couple in the papers. Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass, their parents had arranged a marriage the day she was born. They would be married after her twenty-first birthday, two months shy of a year was all that was left. Though it wasn't stated in the article the Greengrass family was going bankrupt even back then and used the arrangement to save themselves. It was obvious by the way Draco carried himself around that he was just too proud a man to let on what was really happening, but to Artie, who was a master at reading body language, thanks to her auror training, it was obvious he was completely miserable and completely trapped.

Knowing his father the contract was airtight and Draco wouldn't be able to get out of it even if he had wanted to. Even back at Hogwarts he was miserable, but that was for an entirely different reason. He was going through hell trying to complete a task for Voldermort in order to save his mother's life. Just looking at him back then anyone could tell his heart wasn't in it. Now that the Malfoys were free after their change of heart during the war, he was once again trapped doing something his heart just wasn't in for the sake of his family.

Artie saw him quite often leaving the Ministry when she was coming in for her shift. He was doing quite well at restoring his family to good standing in the wizarding world. The Malfoys had even donated quite a bit of money to the auror department so that the remaining death eaters could be caught. Draco had a gift when it came to international relations. It wouldn't be long before he would lead the department. You could tell he really loved his job, but the second he stepped out of the Ministry's front doors his face would fall from his beautiful smile into the same stoic look he had right now.

She had hoped things would be different for him, but things just kept piling on top of the poor man. Looking at him now, he was being dragged into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, probably to get dress robes for some extravagant affair his mother was throwing. Artie had been to a few of them over the years as a pureblood herself, though you wouldn't know it by just looking at her. Astoria was probably in the shop having the Malfoys buy her the most extravagant and pricy set of dress robes in the shop. Astoria's mother had taught her well on how to spend money and not worry about the price tag. That was probably how the Greengrasses had gotten themselves in their current predicament. Artie couldn't help but shake her head and sigh. Aunt Louise was able to raise Artemis quite well on what her parents had left behind for her, but only on occasion did she really get something extravagant like what the Malfoys wore every day.

The Malfoys would have their hands full with Astoria's spending habits even if there was more than enough to support the next three generations without any of them working a day in their lives. To Artie, Astoria was far from a deep personality, in fact she seemed purely superficial, and even in Hogwarts she was never once able to carry a deep conversation with the girl. Poor Draco, pillow talk would be either nonexistent or purely superficial. If Artie couldn't have deep conversations during pillow talk with a man, he just wasn't right for her. Luckily for her though her parents married for love and never made a contract for her love life.

Artie stayed outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour for a bit longer just watching witches and wizards continue on not even seeing her. She had hoped that one day soon she would find the man for her. Handsome, a true gentleman, strong mind and body, and he would be completely head over heels in love with her. What more could she ask for?

She was pulled out of her thoughts when Draco and his fiancé exited to shop with Draco loaded down with bags and Astoria dragging him off to the Leaky Cauldron to return home. He turned towards Artemis and for a brief moment their eyes met and he gave her a genuine smile. He had such a wonderful smile, too bad Astoria drug him off down the street to show him off to her superficial friends. It was sad really, the second she grabbed his wrist the smile melted off his face and the stoic façade soon replaced it. Not long after that did Artemis also leave Diagon Alley. Perhaps she could have a friend of hers at the Ministry look into the marriage contract for her. Maybe just maybe she could help him somehow. Somehow…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Artemis's POV

I sat there in my living room while thinking about how write a letter to my friend at the Ministry. His name is Christopher Knight and we've known each other since we were babies. His grandmother was Aunt Louise's best friend, so naturally play dates were set up between us so that we could have some type of social interaction as children. Of course once I turned fifteen and he turned seventeen Aunt Louise started in on how she was sure he had a "good stiff dick", but really we just weren't right for each other. He was like my brother and the thought of us doing it was just too weird.

_Chris,_

_It's time I cashed in that favor and you owe me after "The Heather Situation". I still have the scar on my left butt cheek to prove it. Anyway…I need you and Charlotte to help me help out an old school mate. It's strange really; I have this overwhelming urge to help him. I don't know why; I saw him in Diagon Alley earlier today. He looked so completely miserable, and it pulled at my heartstrings for some weird reason. Over the years I have seen him go through hell for the sake of his family. I want to help him escape it for once. I need help looking into a marriage contract to see if we can help find some kind of loop hole or something. It's between the Greengrasses and the Malfoys. You've seen him, Chris he dreads going home at the end of the day and he's too proud to help himself. Like I said, "I don't know why I have to help him I just do." So please help me, Chris_

_See you two next Sunday for tea,_

_Artie J._

After I finished writing my letter I called my Short Eared Owl, Trixie and sent my letter to Chris and Charlotte, and then went into my bedroom to change into my pajamas. Before I put my shorts on I looked at my ass in the mirror.

"The Heather Situation" would forever haunt me. How Chris had ever gotten mixed up with that crazy bitch is beyond me. Chris dated her about a year after he graduated from Durmstrang Institute. At first she wasn't really that bad, but once they broke up after three years of dating, she kinda went crazy. She took out her frustrations by unleashing the ultimate unforgivable on an innocent family of muggles. By this time our class finished of the second half of school we had missed and finish auror training as well, as a favor to Chris I made sure that I was placed on the case of tracking her down.

Emile and I had tracked her down to a cave in the Scottish countryside. Everything went well until her wand was out of her reach, and in a last ditch effort to escape, she dove at me and sunk her teeth into my ass. It put a whole new meaning into not letting shit come back to bite you. It was kind of funny though having to show my ass to the whole Wizengamot as evidence. It wasn't long before she was sentenced to Azkaban for life. She wouldn't be back to hurt anyone anymore and for that Chris was thankful.

It wasn't long before I got a return message confirming Chis and Charlie's willingness to help and that we would discuss whatever they were able to uncover next Sunday over tea at their place.

I still don't understand this unyielding feeling urging me to help Draco. It's not like we were super close in school; I was in Ravenclaw and he was in Slytherin. There was no unseen force that drove me to befriend him back then. We would sometimes talk in the hall on the way to class or meet in the library for a school project we were assigned to complete together, but nothing to life changing. We would dance with each other at some of his mother's parties, but it's not like our hormones would drive us to meet out in the hall and make out while no one was paying attention. It was obvious to me though, when he needed someone to rescue him from Pansy or Astoria, how miserable he really was even back then. I would try to help him out if I could; ask if I could cut in and he would smile a genuine smile of gratitude, never a smirk but a real smile. Even after I started dating Jarrod and things got pretty serious between he and I, I would still try to divert their attention from him for at least a moment. It was easy really; with both girls being so superficial when it came to Draco starting an argument between them was almost too easy.

After school was over for Astoria though, I couldn't make things easier for him like I would be able to do back then. Once Astoria graduated Hogwarts, she would never really leave him alone for long. She brought it upon herself to all but move into Malfoy Manor. It was many times the topic of gossip between the female Ministry night shift workers. I never willingly joined into the gossip; I was dragged into it damn near kicking and screaming forced to listen though I would never give them any extra gossip, it was the least I could do. Poor Draco, his life was the equivalent to those muggle soap operas the muggleborns would talk about when there was nothing better to occupy their time. Maybe that was another reason I wanted to help him, only the gods knew the answer to that one.

The next day, when I was coming in for work like I would do every other day I saw Draco's face fall as he approached he doors I was coming through at the moment. Just looking at the misery slowly take over his being pulled my already taught heartstrings even tighter.

Only three more days left until I would meet with Chris and Charlie. Three more days until I would find out how deep Lucius and Astoria's father had dug the whole Draco was already so far within. I just hoped thing weren't as bleak as I feared they were.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I know I haven't stated it before, but if you see a character or something that didn't happen in the original story then it belongs to me but any characters that you do recognise then the belong to JK Rolling. I will most likely forget to state this later so at least I put it somewhere in this story at least once. Also, thank you tho those who have favorited and followed, At least I know you liked it but please review or private message me and give me some constructive criticism, but please no flames. Now on to the story!

Chapter 3

Sunday came around quicker than I would have thought it ever could. Time flew by between the raids that the aurors were doing and taking care of any loose ends left untied, nothing major, more or less just every day hassles. It was strange really for once time didn't creep by just because I wanted it to hurry up and get done with. I hurried up and took a shower and got dressed in baby blue robes and matching peep toe pumps.

Chris and Charlie would be expecting me around noon so I had some time to kill. I decided to floo to The Three Broomsticks and from there head over to Honeydukes Sweetshop. It's silly really, I would think once I became an adult I would have out grown at least some of my sweet tooth, but no I think it had actually gotten worse. Ambrosius Flume and his wife had come to see me as one of their favorite customers considering even after I had graduated, I was still a very frequent patron. I swear every time I visit I just about buy every last bit of fudge on the shelves. I thought, "What better way to start the day than go and get some before tea with Chris and Charlie than to indulge my sweet tooth?" I wasn't really sure who loved their fudge more between Charlie and me. I knew she would absolutely love me after the big basket I had set out to buy her.

I walked over to my fireplace and removed the lid to the pottery jar I kept my floo powder in. Once I reached in and took the silvery powder into my hands I spoke aloud as clearly as possible, "The Three Broomsticks" and tossed the powder into the lit fireplace. The red flames turned the flames a beautiful emerald green and I walked through them. I was more than accustomed to the spinning feeling that accompanied traveling through the floo network so when I had arrived in the fireplace at The Three Broomsticks I didn't tumble over my feet and land face first like I had been known to do throughout my childhood. It took me quite a while to overcome most of my clumsiness and to this day I still hadn't completely succeeded.

I swiftly walked out of the fireplace and waved to Madam Rosetta from whom I received a kind smile as I walked out the door towards Honeydukes. Hogsmeade was also mostly as it was before the final battle. It was still very welcoming even after all of the horrid things that had once occurred there. All but a few of the shops had stayed open and thankfully Ambrosius and his wife hadn't decided to be one of them.

Walking into the shop I was quickly greeted by Mrs. Flume. She was a kindly woman who always favored me over many of her other customers because I always held her fudge in such high regard. She came over and took me into a tight hug as she greeted me.

"Artie it is so good to see you", she rocked back and forth as she hugged me, "I was wondering when you would be coming again." It was really good to see her smiling face as well; she was such a wonderful woman.

"You too Mrs. Flume I hope you made an extra-large batch of fudge this morning," I replied with a smile, knowing I would probably clean her out once again.

She smiled even brighter, "Of course dear, for some reason I had a feeling like I should and here you come." She laughed as she patted me on the back and then released me, "it seems that feeling was right because here you are."

Ambrosius came out of the back room laden with sweets of all kinds to be placed on the shelves. When he saw me he offered me a kind smile as well, "Well, if it isn't Artemis, I'm glad to see ya."

I sent him a smile in return as I greeted him, "It's good to see you too Mr. Flume, I had some time on my hands and just had to come and get some fudge."

Even before I could say anything Mrs. Flume went to the back and got me two big baskets full of fudge. I was comical how well she knew me. I had been getting two enormous sample baskets pretty much since I met Charlie. I used to buy one every time we would have a Hogsmeade weekend, but shortly after I met Charlie, she and Chris came over to my flat one day and I told them, "There's fudge in the kitchen if you two want any!", of course at the time I didn't know that once I got into the kitchen only a few minutes later more than half would be gone. From that point on I started getting two baskets and in turn so did Charlie, it was our thing.

After about an hour of visiting the Flumes and taste testing the new varieties that Mrs. Flume was working on it was time to head over to Chris and Charlie's flat in muggle London. I wished the Flume's well and apparated right out of the center of the store into the center of the flat. When Charlie heard the resounding crack that was associated with apparition, I heard, "I'll be with you soon Artie, I just have to finish something up real quick, but get comfy ok?" I walked to the coffee table and placed both baskets on it and sat down and waited for my two best friends.

Looking around the flat it was obvious that Charlie had more creative rights when it came to decoration of the flat than Chris did. It was decorated in blacks and whites in an American 1950's style with all of the appliances and furniture to match. Charlie wasn't just a Fudge loving witch; she was an American muggleborn with curly hair the color of dawn and eyes the color of newly sprouted grass in spring time. She had attended school in Salem, Oregon and shortly after she graduated she went on vacation to Essex and fell in love with the old county the moment she arrived. Instead of returning to America and her mother's two bedroom apartment in San Francisco, she decided to stay in the UK. Not long after that had she started working in muggle London as a Lawyer to both muggles and magic folk alike. One day she met Chris newly out of a relationship with Heather at a tea shop. Chris accidently bumped into her and soon after that they went on what would be the first of many, many dates. She was very attracted to Chris, who had hair the color of a raven's wing and eyes the color of a stormy sky. Chris was a half-blood who worked for the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Magical Contracts and Documents, or the DMCD for short. Charlie would say that, "While the DMCD didn't have the most original name in the Ministry it certainly had its fair share of dramatic moments." Chris always had some interesting story about the clients he saw during the day, and many times it would be one of the topics that made it into pillow talk.

I always thought the two of them were perfect for each other. Watching the two of them together was something special. Charlie and Chris were my two greatest friends and now that they were both in my life I couldn't imagine live without either of them. Not long after I arrived I heard the tea kettle whistle and saw Charlie sprint across the room to ready the tea. I got up to greet her once she put the tea in the boiling water to steep. She turned to me with a smile and we embraced for a moment before she led me back to the living room.

"Chris had to run to the store right quick and will be back soon but enough about that, how things been going since we received the letter?" Charlie asked me while I was sitting across from her on the loveseat.

"Work, work, oh and more work. What else? There are still death eaters out there and there will always be some kind of crime going one whether Voldermort is alive or dead. You know how it is; an aurors work is never done." I replied with a sigh. "What about you two? Is it work as usual or has something out for the ordinary happened?"

Charlie looked at me and grinned, while reaching over to grab a piece of fudge, "You mean besides going over a marriage contract more times than I can count for you, Hell no, sure being a lawyer is never repetitive, but it hasn't been out there lately ya know? It's the same for Chris too just work really nothing too big."

The two of us dug into the fudge I brought over while we waited for Chris, which wasn't very long at all. Not even ten minutes after we started eating fudge and catching up on the gossip did he walk in to the flat. Charlie and I rushed to grab some of the bags he was loaded down with. We all brought them to the kitchen and put them away. I had no problems, because I had come to know their kitchen almost as well as my own. Once we finished we all sat down in the breakfast nook with or freshly steeped tea and got down to business.

Chris and Charlie both turned to me with grave faces, and Charlie started to speak, "I have been over this contract more times than I can count," tapping said contract with her finger to emphasize, "and it's airtight. Lucius Malfoy and the elder Greengrass have dug him in as about as far as you can get. There isn't even a glimpse of a loophole throughout the whole contract."

I was crestfallen, but still I had to say, "There has to be something, anything to get him out of this. It's just not fair to anyone to be force into marring someone just because you parents said you have to."

Chris chose this time to speak up, "Well there is one instance that happened around the time I started working in DMCD, of course it caused more problems than it solved, but the man wasn't forced to go through with his own marriage contract merely on the grounds that going through with it would be illegal."

At this I sat up straighter in my chair waiting almost impatiently, while Charlie looked at him like he had left something very important out this whole time.

Chris who now looked like he might be regretting even opening his mouth at this point hesitantly continued, "Well Artie, you see, um, he could get married to someone else before the contract's ceremony was due to take place. Sure in some Middle Eastern countries muggle men can have multiple wives, but, um, polygamy us not only frowned upon it's illegal in the wizarding world."

With even Charlie's interest peaked, though she was also a bit apprehensive to know the answer, she asked, "Chris what happened then, what terrible things resulted from the man breaking contract?"

Once again Chris was hesitant to answer, but continued on anyway, "Well you see the father of the bride, demanded the marriage be annulled and that he still have to marry his daughter. The father's demand went unanswered because the man claimed that should he have, um, never been betrothed to begin. If the contract had never existed he still would have married the woman he chose to marry anyway because he truely loved her. Things got really messy and the courts were involved, but in the end nothing could be done because and I quote 'what's done is done'."

Charlie and I were somewhat dumbstruck, but the question on my mind was should I even tell him or just keep my mouth shut, really I didn't know. Part of me wanted to do something but other parts of me wondered if it was the right thing. What if Draco got more trouble than he felt it was worth for following my advice and what if it all came back on me for even saying something? One thing was for sure, I would do my best to keep Charlie and Chris's noses clean as best I could. One way or another I would find out if maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut to begin with. Perhaps this was the best decision I had ever made or maybe the worst. Once we all finished our tea and catching up on everything else I grabbed my basket of fudge and apparated home.

That night I went home wondering how I would even tell him, perhaps like everything else I had done when Draco was involved, by the seat of my pants.

Tomorrow was a new day, maybe I would go in an hour early and talk to him then, at this point, I am starting to wonder what the hell got into me!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: To my lovely followers and the lovely person who review (you know who you are), I just want to apologize for taking so long. I'm in college and I have a little girl so I don't have much time to work on this until after she goes to sleep and unfortunately for my story school must come first. I just started a new class and it is really kicking my ass. I had to get something out sorry if it seems kinda rushed. Reviews PLEASE! Oh and I only own the plot and OCs, lol enjoy...**

Chapter 4

As I sat in my overstuffed armchair in the middle of my comfortable living room, I drank my tea while trying to calm my nerves. I knew I was going arrive at the Ministry about an hour early so I could talk to him about the marriage contract. I didn't think I would be this nervous confronting him when I wrote that letter to Chris and Charlotte asking for help, all I had in mind was helping him.

What if he got pissed off at me for digging around in his business? He didn't ask for help and for all I knew he wouldn't take to kindly to all of this. The only thing on my mind at the time was helping him like I tried to in the past, only this time it wasn't just directing Pansy or Astoria's attention off of him at one of his mother's parties, I was digging around in something much bigger than the both of us.

Like everything else that had to do with Draco Malfoy in the past, I was going to do this by the seat of my pants. In the past and apparently even now in present, whenever Draco was involved, I never really thought through was I what going to do, I just did it. In the past things worked in my favor, but maybe now I wouldn't be so lucky.

I still had an hour before I needed to leave. I was already dressed in my black dragon hide trench coat, mint green button up vest, leather pants, and combat boots; in fact I had been since right after the shower I had taken after I woke up. I was going to work and flowing robes and peep toe pumps just weren't practical for chasing after rouge death eaters. The outfit I was in also offered more protection and since we were planning on striking out on a family we had been tracking for a while, they finally got careless about a week ago. The area we would be going to was in the in the middle of nowhere, and in any case with rogue death eaters it was better safe than sorry.

I was so lost in my own thoughts that I didn't realize until it was too late that my tea had gone cold. I sighed as I got up and went to my cozy little kitchen, and pored my now-gone-cold tea down the sink and washed the little piece of porcelain. I figured I would head to the Leaky Cauldron, and get something to eat before I headed in.

I went to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of silvery powder threw it into the red flames. I watched to flames turn emerald green and very clearly said, "The Leaky Cauldron" and walked through. Once I walked out of the fireplace in The Leaky Cauldron, I went to the corner and sat with my back to the wall, it was a habit I had gotten into long before I became an auror.

Though Molly Weasley had a fit, Jarrod and I joined the Order of the Phoenix the summer before our seventh year. While the Golden trio went out on their "top secret mission", we returned to Hogwarts to keep an eye out for the younger students and help keep the Carrows in check. Even back in Hogwarts I learned to trust no one and never kept my back open to attack. Jarrod and I had many of the same classes, because we both planned to become aurors after graduating. If we could be, we were inseparable. It helped to keep each other safe. We couldn't be together all the time though, because Jarrod was Gryffindor. It was because of that, that I started sitting in corners with my back against the wall to avoid any sneak attacks.

When the waitress came to take my order, I kept it simple, fish and chips, with a mug of hot butterbeer; though I'm sure I would have preferred firewiskey to help calm my still tense nerves. Once my food and butterbeer came, I ate it slowly to help pass the remaining forty-five minutes.

With fifteen minutes remaining I started heading towards the ministry. I walked up the steps and entered through the doors as I felt a whole new wave of nerves rush over me. I walked to the elevators and climbed aboard. There were three other witches and one wizard that had gotten on the elevator with me. One witch got off at the Department of Magical Games and Sports, the wizard got off at the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, and the final two witches got off at the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

Finally I was alone and the elevator slowly climbed to the Department of International Relations. Every floor that I traveled up by myself, I was tempted to just turn around and leave and I was about to do that very thing when the doors opened at my destination. For a moment I just stood there staring in a daze until about thirty paper airplane shaped messages flew past my ears. The updraft that the messages created shocked me out of my stupor and I slowly exited out of the still open door. I continued to slowly walk down the near endless hall until I reached the door I needed to enter. With a deep breath I opened it and walked to the receptionist by Draco's office door. She was an older lady with greying brown hair and green kind eyes. I cleared my throat, which had just gone dry, and addressed her, "Excuse me miss, I don't have an appointment but I need to speak with mister Malfoy, please."

She looked up and smiled, "Of course, he isn't too busy, and may I ask who is here to see him? Protocol and all that."

"Um, Artemis Jameson" I said as I cleared my throat, in my head I think I was trying to clear the nervousness out of my voice but I'm not sure if I succeeded; I probably, no I know I didn't. If she had noticed she didn't comment.

"Yes of course I'll let him know; have a seat Ms. Jameson." She sent me a smile as I turned toward the leather couch that lined the wall. It was almost too soft and I felt like it swallowed me whole.

As I sat there waiting for Draco's receptionist to return, I felt myself sink even lower into the couch, perhaps trying to hide. In all the years I had known Draco, I had never purposefully sought him out for something that was not school related or to save him at a party. I hoped he didn't think something was up, or at least not something too strange, though I'll admit it was kinda strange. After all I was about to tell him if he wanted to save himself, he has less than ten months to find and marry another woman if he wanted to get out of his impending marriage.

The older lady walked out of the door and addressed me, "He'll see you now." Once she was finished she returned back to her desk. I sat there for a few heartbeats longer until I got the nerve to move. I walked to the door and placed my hand on the knob and took a deep breath and let it out as I turned it. As I walked in to the office, he looked up at me and stood.

He smiled at me, one of those true smiles that didn't appear very often. "Artemis, not that I'm not glad to see you, but I have to say you're the last person I expected to come to my office today. Have a seat." He held his hand out toward the chair in front of his desk for emphasis.

I walked toward it and sat down. "So what do I owe this meeting to?" he asked me while looking me into the eye.

I took a deep breath and rushed, "IwantedtohelpyoubecaseIcan'tstandtoseeyousomiserablesoI lookedintoyourmarrigescontra ct!" and as I spit out what I had to say he just stared at me confused and said, "I'm sorry, what, slow down a bit."

I took another deep breath before I began again while trying to look anywhere in the room but at him and failing miserably, "I wanted to help you because can't stand to see you so miserable so I looked into your marriage contract."

He looked quite taken back and slightly pissed, but still he replied, "What might I ask did you find out, Artemis?"

"Well, um, it's airtight, but there is one way you can get out of it, so um, yeah." I said while not quite being able to control my jerky movements.

Draco sat up straighter and stiffly replied, "Ok and that would be what exactly?"

While he sat up straighter I sunk deeper into the chair I was sitting in, but still spoke shakily, "You could, um, marry someone else, there was someone who did it a few years back, and um, got out of it, but um, you know only because, you know you can't be married to more than one person at a time and um, well yeah, um, yeah." Once I finished my poorly spoken and slightly mumbled sentence I looked my lap, I knew it would be hard but not this hard. I felt like my face was on fire and I was slowly melting into a pool of "Artiegoo".

Even though I could barely get a comprehensible sentence out I couldn't stop the words that came flying out of my mouth no matter how hard I tried, "Of course it caused a shit ton of trouble and the courts got involved, you know, the guy said he wouldn't annul it and it was already um, well, um, consummated and what not. So yeah, eventually it ended in what's done is done, and well um, so uh, I hear the guy and the woman he married are still happily married and so um, yeah and anyway if you would want to do that you have like a whole ten months to do that, hmm yeah."

I looked up at Draco and felt like sinking deeper into the chair. He was looking at me strangely, though he wasn't furious like I was so worried he would be. He did the last thing his character would allow him to do, he stood up from the chair, walked around his desk and pulled me out of my chair rather forcefully, but what really surprised me most was that he pulled me into a hug. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered somewhat shakily, "Do you think it would work, Artie?"

To say I was shocked was an understatement, I replied with a bit more confidence than I had had before, "Uh, yeah I mean, if I didn't think it was possible, I wouldn't have come, I mean as much as I wanted to turn and run once I got up here, I knew I couldn't turn back." I replied to him as I slowly pulled out of the hug and looked him in the eyes for the first time since I walked into his office, and for once, I didn't want to shrink away.

For the first time I saw a weight lift off of his shoulders, but then it seemed like it was put back on them tenfold. He slowly went back to his chair as I went back to mine, he sighed and looked at me once again and said, "With once door that opens, one door closes, I have so much to think about now and how am I supposed to find someone to fall in love with me and agree to marry me in less than ten months?"

I was shocked really to hear something like that come out of his mouth, back at Hogwarts the girls threw themselves at him left and right, but then again we weren't talking about a one night stand, no we were talking about the rest of his life, in the wizarding world, there were not divorces, it was for life, simple as that.

I said the first thing that came to mind, "The Draco Malfoy I know wouldn't say something like that, not with so much despair, where's that Malfoy confidence I have come so used to, huh? Any way you're a great guy and any girl would be a fool not to fall in love with you."

I was shocked really that something like that would flow so easily out of my mouth without even realizing it. What surprised me even more was the fact that not only had I said it, but I said it with such conviction that he was crazy not to believe it. We weren't even really friends and yet here I was telling him how absolutely amazing he was before I could stop it from coming out of my mouth. It was obvious I said the right thing though since he sat up straight again and smiled. I let my head fall back and to the side as I let out a content sigh.

For the first time since I had gotten to the Ministry I looked at the clock on the wall and stood up like I was hexed, I only had ten minutes to get down to the second floor and my department.

"Shit, um Draco I gotta go, I gotta be downstairs in like ten minutes, uh I'll see you soon, if you need something sometime soon just owl me, bye!" I didn't even look back once as I all but ran out of his office toward mine, though I did hear him yell a bye and a laugh coming from both him and his receptionist before I slammed both his office door and the department door as well.

It was quitting time for many of the daytime workers, so the elevators were full by the time I got to the end of the hall. Needless to say I got stuck taking the stairs if I wanted to even think about making it to my office with even a second to spare. The only thing I could think of as I made my way across the stairs as fast as I could was, that the meeting with Draco went much better than I thought it would.

I might have been an auror and in great shape but running the whole way from Draco's office to mine had me out of breath, but at least I made it there on time, barely. As emotionally draining as today had turned out I still had the next eight hours to go, packed full of a family of rogue death eaters, all I could think was, ' Watch out because here I come baby!' with the nerves gone I was on an adrenaline high that would certainly last all night…


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: If you don't recognise it then it's mine but if you do it belongs to Jo. Sorry for the wait I wanted to get something out for now, I promise to get something else out soon since it's winter break now until the first. Please review and what not. Thanks for reading and those of you that follow and review a special thanks goes to you Mwah :)**

Chapter 5

Once I finally caught my breath, the aurors who would be going on the mission gathered around the conference table, each with a cup of coffee in hand. I sat next to my partner Emile, whom sat next to Ron Weasley, whom sat next to the leader of tonight's raid, Harry Potter. Another auror, Jasmine Reynolds would have been with us tonight, but she was getting on in her pregnancy and we couldn't risk her losing the baby.

As I drank my coffee Harry addressed us all, "Ok, so tonight we are going to have to apparate to the Scottish Highlands, to the area we discussed last Friday, then we'll have to ride broomsticks for about an hour until we get to our destination. I want you all to stay alert tonight. Artemis and Emile, I want you two to take the east side while Ron and I will take the south. Our targets will be within the Abernethy Forest, we are going to have to be discreet as possible, and we can't let our targets know that we've caught onto their slip up."

I leaned forward and pointed to the map as I spoke up, "Harry, we should ride in formation under a disillusionment charm until we reach Spey Valley, and then move out from there. We know they haven't left the area they were in yesterday; our informants have verified that much to be true."

Harry and I caught each other's eyes for a moment and acknowledged me with a nod, "Artie you're right, ok grab your brooms everyone, we had better get this show on the road." We all nodded and stood up from our chairs.

The four of us walked over to the closet we normally kept our overcoats in during the winter months and retrieved our brooms we had all placed there the night before. Once we all got our brooms out of the closet we each one by one spun on our heels and apparated to the agreed upon spot.

Harry turned to us and nodded. We each mounted our brooms, Ron on his Cleansweep Eleven, Emile on his Comet 260, and Harry and I each on Firebolts. I loved to fly a broomstick in my free time and lately I really hadn't 1had a chance to just hop on my broom and forget all the stress I had been under as of late. Even though I was on a mission I couldn't help but feel like I was on top of the world. I took over keeper for my house team in my third year and ever since I've been most at home on a broomstick.

Poor Emile, he reminded me a lot of Hermione when it came to a broom, he could fly a broom perfectly fine, wonderfully in fact, but much preferred having his feet firmly on the ground. I couldn't really blame him, in his third year he tried out for chaser for his house team, but during tryouts he took a bludger to the head, fell about eighty feet to the ground and broke five of his ribs and his left arm. Instead of trying out again the year after, he decided he was better off staying in the stands cheering his team on instead of in the air actually playing.

We stayed quiet for the most part and just making quiet small talk from time to time. To be completely honest I didn't really pay attention to the guys chitchat, it didn't interest me, even now I don't really know what it was about. The closer we got to Spey Valley the less the guys talked and the more we paid close attention to our surroundings.

We made it to Spey Valley in less time than we thought it would take. Once we touched down we removed the disillusionment charm and stashed our brooms in a safe place. We all gathered around as Harry gave us our orders, "Our targets are about a fifteen minute walk away. Artemis and Emile, I want you two to stick close to each other, and take to the shadows while Ron and I do the same. There are four of them, so we will each have our own person to deal with. Just remember these guys have gotten away from our fellow aurors before we have to bring them in this time, we can't fail tonight. Remember, we want to do this as quietly and quickly as possible. I don't want any injuries tonight for either us or them. Is everyone ready?"

Ron, Emile and I all nodded in affirmation. Harry's face went completely serious as he whispered, "You all know the plan, move out!"

Emile and I went east while Harry and Ron went south. We all kept our wands at the ready as we moved towards our target. Within moments we closed in on the clearing that the rouge death eaters occupied. They didn't have a fire burning, and since it was summer it really wasn't needed, plus it would have alerted anyone in the area. Three of them were asleep while the fourth was on watch with his back to a tree. We made sure to stay out of the watchman's line of sight. Emile and I looked across the camp and we saw Harry and Ron give a nod. I saw Harry cast a silencing charm on the watchman and then restrain him, pocketing the man's wand in the process.

The rest of us closed in after I summoned the remaining wands to me with silent flick of my wrist as they all slept. Ron, Emile and I silently used a body bind charm securing our targets without any trouble. The death eaters' eyes all shot open was started to levitate them towards the spot we left our brooms. Since they were bound we were able to secure them to our brooms without any problem. Things were calm as we flew our targets straight to Azkaban's holding cells where they would await trial with the Wizengamot.

Tonight's targets got sloppy and overconfident; after three years on the run they got comfortable. Capturing them was much easier than I had hoped it would be. Truthfully I was hoping for a fight. In a way, I had wished to blow off some steam, but our orders were from the big guys, don't cause a fight unless there is no other option.

We all returned to the ministry to write up our separate reports. As much as Ron wanted to return home to a very pregnant Hermione, he couldn't we still had another two hours to finish up any loose ends.

The time ticked by slowly I finished my report and started looking through other cases that had yet to be solved. Even after all of the rogue death eaters were caught, there would always be crime and bad guys to catch; our jobs would never be over with, it would just change shape.

Looking back when the Malfoys donated those thousands of gallons to help us catch Voldermort's remaining followers, I never really thought being an auror would turn out this way. For the first two years even though orders were to avoid violence, it was near constant excitement. Every night the four of us would risk our lives, living off of no sleep and constant adrenaline, these days with things so settled down, things ended much like they did tonight. Go in, bind them up, haul them off and write the report.

Finally the quitting bell rang so to speak, in the early days we would all head over to The Leaky Cauldron for shots of firewiskey and hang out, but now things were so different, I was the only one of us not married or in a serious relationship, I think I would be ok with it all if I had someone to go home to, to make love to, to wake up next to.

Once we all finished work, we walked to the elevators and made our way up to the entrance of the Ministry, the guys made their way home while I made my way to the Leaky Cauldron by myself, I walked in the doors and sat myself at the bar, "Firewiskey, Sam, and keep them coming I've had a rough day."

I sat there for good, long time thinking about my life had been recently. When I made the decision to go back on the prowl, I had every intention to and I still do it's just I don't want to settle, I never have before and I don't plan to start now.

Looking around the bar, I can see a lot of hot looking guys looking to score, in fact many of the current patrons have tried to get in my pants in the past, but at the time I wasn't ready to move on and now that I am, I'm not just looking for a one night stand, Jarrod and I were going to get married after the war was over, I could have been just like my coworkers, I could have been just like Chris and Charlie right now.

I sat at the bar for about two hours getting drunk off my ass, trying to drown my sorrows, until I finally decided to floo home, I knew if I tried to apparate it wouldn't have ended well. I probably would have splinched myself. I wobbled from my fireplace to my bedroom door stripping my clothes off as I went. By the time I made it to my room I was only in my panties and a bra. I had fallen, once again, into my bed by myself, cold, alone and drunk off my ass. I knew I would regret it in the morning, but right now I was too damn out of it to care...


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the delay I had planned to post something well be****fore now, but I hope you all love this chapter. A huge thank you goes out to all of my wonderful readers and reviewers. Just knowing my story is well recieved and liked makes writing so worth it! Please keep reading and reviewing so I know what you think...oh almost forgot I don't own Harry Potter JKR does!**

Chapter 6

The moment I woke up the only thing I could do was clutch my head and let out a whimper. By now I should know better not to drink myself into oblivion. I looked at the clock on my nightstand as the angry red letters informed me that it was 11:00 in the morning. I opened the drawer to my night stand and rummaged through it for a hangover relief potion, only to not find any. Normally I would keep at least three or four in stock but I guess I had gotten careless and just completely forgotten to restock it after my last stunt.

I slowly rose out of bed, gripping the headboard of my bed for support as the room started to spin. I stumbled to the loo praying I would get there sooner rather than later. I hopped into the shower and let the cold water hit me as I tried to let the gravitational pull on my stomach dissipate. It wasn't long before I had to rush out of the shower and felt last night's firewiskey leave my stomach. Once I finally finished I returned to the shower feeling slightly worse for wear, if that was even possible. I hurried up and showered after I added a little heat to the water, I was thankful that I had the night off and I could be lazy.

I returned to my room and put on a pair of clean pajamas and my fuzzy slippers, what was the point in getting dressed only to stay home all day? It was sad that I had to actually nurse a hangover just to take a day completely to myself. I was not the kind of witch who stayed still for long, nor did I lounge about in my pajamas just for the hell of it. Truly the last time I had just stayed in my pajamas, if I'm not mistaken, was about a year ago.

I walked into my quaint little kitchen and rummaged through my potion cabinet for headache reliever, once I found it I knocked it back like the shots I knocked back last night. I felt my headache dissolve almost instantly, I fixed myself a cup of coffee, because tea just wasn't strong enough this morning. Once I had finally had the aromatic coffee in hand I walked back into my living room and sat down in my favorite arm chair and slowly drank in its essence.

I started to zone out as I drank my coffee, with nothing to do my mind always starts to wander and this time was no different. My mind wandered back to the final battle, it was May 2, 1998; I was seventeen and would be for a few more weeks, I remember, professor Flitwick came into our tower on his short little legs, as he woke up his house. I remember the younger students being shipped off out the secret corridors to safety as the older students who chose to stay and fight made their way through the castle. I fought death eaters I searched for Jarrod, as I tried to help aurors, teachers, and my fellow students alike. I tried to focus on what was in front of me while I tried to protect those I could as I fought against the enemy.

After about an hour of fighting I finally saw Jarrod. He was throwing curses and hexes as he stood surrounded by death eaters. I was on an adrenaline rush as I fought my way toward him; I could tell something was wrong. I rushed to him as fast as I could until we finally reunited. We only shared a single moment's glance at each other as we fought back to back. I fought to cover my half as he covered his. Jarrod was always too confident for his own good and this time wasn't any different. I could see the change in his body language, how he had an almost careless demeanor, his eyed burned with a strange look as he barreled through death eater after death eater. When I defeated the final death eater on my side I turned to help him with his. I had never seen him like this; to me it appeared that he thought himself invincible. As if in slow motion, he turned toward me with a triumphant smirk on his face, I saw a lone death eater rise up behind him quicker that his injuries should have allowed. I tried to warn Jarrod, but the ultimate unforgiveable was already barreling toward him quicker than he could react.

I raced over to him and held him in my arms as tears poured down my face as the death eater that attacked him fell to the ground unmoving. I had just lost the love of my life, but I didn't have time to stop and grieve. With the adrenaline still running through my veins I heaved Jarrod's body over my shoulder and ran for the great hall. Everywhere around me spells of all colors flew passed me as I fought my way through the carnage. Every time I remember that fateful day that would change my life forever, I still can't figure out who saved my life as I made my way down the main staircase while carrying Jarrod's still body over my shoulder. I remember running down the final flight of stairs as three death eaters came out of nowhere. They all surrounded me as I did my best to block their curses, but the smallest one threw the Cruciatus Curse at me. As my body crumpled underneath me Jarrod's body also fell at a disgustingly awkward angle only a few feet away from me.

When I was about pass out to escape the pain I heard a hex being fired and the pain instantly stop. A battle waged around me as I lay on the floor on the brink of unconsciousness. It wasn't long before I heard a somewhat familiar voice that I just couldn't place at the moment tell me, "You're safe, and I'll get you both to the Great Hall." There was more but I couldn't quite make it all out as all of my senses faded around me.

I had woken up with Jarrod's body next to me by the time Voldermort announced that Harry Potter was dead. I left Jarrod's body in the care of a house elf named Twinkle that I had formed a friendship with over the years so that I could see what was really going down. To say I wasn't really shocked that my now coworker had survived by some miracle and when the final battle was over and he was the one standing there was a collected sigh of relief escaped the crowd around me.

I returned to Twinkle and Jarrod as others returned to their fallen family members as well. Jarrod was among the many funerals that had taken place in the days following the battle.

I don't really know why my mind wandered to that place after three years. I think it wasn't the fact that my life started to change so drastically that day that makes my mind keep returning to it. I've had time to grieve and move on from the loss of Jarrod. To this day from the moment I woke up that day to the time I finally fell asleep that night the memory is still clear as if it only happened yesterday. I have tried several times to figure out who my savior that day was but my muddled senses just couldn't draw a conclusion.

My now empty cup of coffee was nestled in my hands and for a moment I just sat there before I got up to wash it. I started making a ham and cheese sandwich when I heard tapping on my window. I open the curtains and there sat my crazy Aunt Louise's great horned owl, Guilbeau, or Beau for short. He hopped through the window and held out his leg waiting for me to untie the letter from my aunt. Once I had untied the letter I walked over to my sandwich and cut off the crusts for Beau, who gladly ate them up. Once he was done he hooted and flew out the window. I sat the letter down on the table as I ate my sandwich. I ate slowly as possible not wanting to open the letter from my aunt right away. Most of Aunt Louise's letters are all the same.

_To my wonderful niece, Artemis,_

_How are you, I haven't heard from you in what, almost a month now? You aren't working too hard again are you? I hope the reason I haven't heard from you is, because, dare I say it, have you found a sexy man with a good stiff dick who keeps you up all night, and you are just too wrapped up to write? I definitely hope so, I want little ones running through my house so I can spoil them rotten_

_Anyway, I want you to come visit me for the whole two days next weekend. We are going shopping for dresses because we have been invited to a lovely affair and we need to look our best. If you haven't found that certain someone well then, maybe you will while we are there. You have been moping too much lately and I'm sure if you "got you some" as the kids say it these days, your whole outlook on life would change._

_Until then my ducky,_

_Auntie Louise_

I was right it was just the same as usual, I want little ones around, you need a good stiff dick, another affair to attend at which she'll throw anyone at me who is handsome and had potential for a future husband material. I really love my Aunt Louise, if not for her I wouldn't have as many opportunities and I would have gone to the orphanage. She really does mean well but sometimes it was just too much to deal with. Aunt Louise had a certain style idea for me and I had another one entirely. But for her I would wear a floor length backless dress that showed my cleavage, of course if I had my way I would just wear a simple but elegant floor length dress with straps that was a princess top. Unfortunately for me my aunt loves to use me to put on the dresses that she was too old to wear herself.

It makes sense though why she is so keen on me having "little ones", Aunt Louise couldn't have any children, and it wasn't for the lack of trying either. When I came along I became the daughter she had always wanted but couldn't have herself. She just wants grandchildren like anyone would.

Aunt Louise is great don't get me wrong, I truly love spending time with her, but I tend to get nervous when she says we are going to an affair and won't tell me where at. Obviously it is going to be at some rich pureblood's house, not that it mattered she didn't care if I dated a pureblood or not just as long as my future husband was magical. She raised me as a proud pureblood witch but blood is just a life source not what really makes you who you are. She raised me how my parents would have without discrimination.

I had one week before I had to go to Aunt Louise's house, one week to relax until then, one week before I was thrown at every eligible bachelor that would be at the party. Who knew maybe Aunt Louise would be right, I just might run into my future husband after all…


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm so sorry it took so long to update, between school and my grandma's health I really haven't been able to focus on writing lately. We had to rush my grandma to the hospital last night for and emergency blood transfusion and today she is having a procedure to find and fix any tears in her stomach and GI tract. Anyway I hope you all like this chapter, a big thank you goes out to all of my readers and especially those of you who review. By the way if you don't recognise anything it's mine but if not it belongs to the lovely JKR!**

Chapter 7

My week flew by like it was on a Firebolt. Work went better than usual and we were about to go on another raid for a death eater outside of Madrid, Spain. I've been so busy at work that I hadn't had a drunken repeat since last Friday night thank Merlin.

This weekend though, would most likely drag on at a snail's pace. I was in my bedroom packing my bag for the weekend, making sure I had enough clothes for just about any occasion. Luckily I had charmed a weekend bag a few years ago that no matter how much I put into it there was always room for more and it remained light as a feather. Even though I knew we were going shopping this afternoon and then a party tomorrow evening, still I was going to Aunt Louise's house for the weekend. Anytime Aunt Louise was involved, randomness was to be expected.

Once I was all packed up for the weekend I took a shower and washed my hair. I walked to my closet looking at the robes I hadn't packed. I quickly decided on lavender robes, I walked over to the other side of my closet and looked at my shoes. I had to have a pair of peep toe pumps in every color that I had robes in. There was just something about classic peep toes. I really had a serous shoe addiction, I mean think about it, and no matter how much weight you gain or lose shoes always fit. I grabbed a pair of lavender pumps that were the perfect shade to match my robes and proceeded to get dressed.

Once I was dressed, I walked to my fireplace, grabbed a handful of floo power and very clearly said, "36 Ridgepoint Road" I felt the feeling of traveling the Floo Network and before I know it I landed in Aunt Louise's living room.

I walked out into the yard after I sat my bag on the couch, I saw my Aunt Louise reclining on a lounge chair in the center of her little garden. When I got closer to her, she heard the sound of my pumps clicking on cobblestones of the pathway that stretched the length of the garden. Just like her house her garden was small but beautiful. She took great pride in her roses; they were her pride and joy next to me of course. Her rose garden was where she spent most of her retired days and she put a lot of work into it, when she wasn't trying to set me up with someone.

She had what looked like a glass of iced tea with a lemon wedge on the rim of the glass. She turned to look at me and a smile grew across her face. She stood up and started walking toward me with her arms wide open, "My ducky, just look at you come give Auntie Louise a great big hug!"

I ran into her arms as she wrapped me into a tight hug. Sure, Aunt Louise drove me crazy, but that didn't mean weren't extremely close. Once she was finished hugging me she held me at arm's length and looked at me with a one eye squinting at me. Uh oh I was in for it now, before I even had the chance to say something she was dragging me into the house by my hand.

"Ducky, you feel thin are you not eating properly again? It's that job of yours again isn't it? What will I ever do with you, hm? If you don't eat right how are you ever going to keep those womanly curves the men love so much? Come on let's get some nice, healthy, home cooking in you before we go shopping." Aunt Louise was busing herself with filling a bowl of her special chicken noodle soup.

"Eat that my ducky, you need to come home more often so that I can feed you some better food every now and then, besides I miss you when you are gone," Aunt Louise said as she placed the soup in front of me and she sat on the bar stool beside my own. I started eating the soup the second she placed it in front of me, my aunt was one hell of a cook.

"By the way dearie, have you finally "gotten you some" yet, I want some little ones running around here, I know I have many years left in these old bones, but still." Ah, there it was, Aunt Louise's favorite topic.

I heaved a long sigh and looked at my aunt, "No not yet, but I'm finally looking for someone new. Before you say anything I just don't want to "get me some" I want a real relationship like I had before, no one night stands, no matter how much you think it would do me some good."

I looked at her, for once she had a look of understanding along with that smile of hers, "I know ducky, who knows, you might just find your man at the party tomorrow, and you know I'll be sending plenty of good stiff dicks your way and who knows maybe one of them will be the one."

I was about to say something to her but before I could, she held up her hand and shook her head, "No ducky don't even say anything, let Auntie Louise help you, if you don't, you know I'll just do it anyway." She laughed and I knew she would, tomorrow she would throw every eligible bachelor my way, and there was no escaping it so I just went along with it anyway.

Once I was finished my soup Aunt Louise pulled out her wand and with a wave, my dish and spoon were cleaned and put into the cupboards. Aunt Louise started walking toward the fireplace with me in tow. "Off we go ducky, to Madam Malkin's, before all of the good gowns are taken."

I followed her through the fireplace and arrived at The Leaky Cauldron not even a moment after she did. I waved at the bartender as we made our way out the door. I followed Aunt Louise through the crowd as she weaved between people like no one else her age should have been able to. As we arrived at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Madam Malkin herself came to greet us.

Madam Malkin led Aunt Louise away to look for her own gown while I was left to my own devices. I wasn't even sure what color I would have chosen for myself. I knew would be lucky just to be able to pick the color of my dress, because I knew I wouldn't just get the option to choose my own gown. Aunt Louise loved dressing me in the gowns that she no longer could wear.

I walked down each aisle with my hand gliding over each dress one by one feeling the different textures against my skin. I passed by the green dresses, then the white, and the red ones as well. Not one of them stood out, I went on to the black and yellow ones and still nothing. Purple, gold and orange gowns, certainly were not what I was looking for either.

Then I came to the blue gowns, I found it then, my perfect dress, powder blue, floor length, princess top with a long slit that would have reached my upper right thigh with silver trim around the bottom and up the slit of the dress. I knew I would have regretted it if it had fit perfectly, but I just couldn't stop myself as I walked to the fitting rooms. As I passed by the shoes I saw the most amazing shoes of the perfect powder blue platform strappy heels and grabbed them as well.

I walked into the first free dressing room and locked the door. I removed the lavender robes and pumps that I had on and carefully slid the straps onto my shoulders and then carefully zipped up the zipper that was on the back of the dress, all the while not looking into the mirror. I sat on the small chair in the dressing room and buckled the heels I had picked out and walked out of the dressing room and stood on the platform that was in front of the three way mirror. As I looked into the mirror I tear slid down my cheek, it truly was the perfect dress. It hugged every curve in all the right places, accentuated my large, but not to large breast line, the shoes matched perfectly as well. From top to bottom everything was perfect, maybe too perfect.

"Ducky, where are you?!" I sighed as I heard my aunt call.

I turned around and saw her standing a few feet away from me. She had a green gown slung over her forearm with a pair of shoes in her other hand. She saw me and gasped.

"Ducky, where ever did you find that marvelous gown?" I was shocked really, did she really like it?

"On the rack over there." I replied as I pointed toward the opposite end of the shop.

I looked at her face and saw a smile, and then she held up the green, backless, strapless dress that I knew she had chosen for me, and frowned. She handed the dress in her arms back to Madam Malkin and said, "This dress just won't do, for once I believe my little ducky has the right idea," and then she turned to me and said, "Go take off that dress and those wonderful shoes so that we can get them paid for.

I smiled and got off the platform and ran over to Aunt Louise and said, "Really, do you mean it?"

She smiled and replied, "Yes, it really is perfect for you ducky, the dress I had picked out wouldn't have been the one, but with this one, you'll find your future husband, no doubt."

Never before had my choices also been chosen my Aunt Louise, she thought sexy was the only way to get your man. I returned to the dressing room and removed the gown and shoes and replaced them with my lavender robes and shoes. Madam Malkin was waiting outside the dressing rooms waiting for me.

She took the dress and shoes from me and told me, "It really is the perfect ensemble for you dear; you'll be the talk of the party! I'll just bring these to the counter for you."

I sat down in the chairs by the dressing rooms waiting for Aunt Louise to come out after trying on her own gown. She came out wearing a burgundy floor length gown with a beautiful lace bolero jacket; it was covered in a lace and jewels. It was too flashy for me but on her it was perfect, she also had on two inch heels that were covered in the same lace.

"It's perfect dear," Madam Malkin told her as she came out of nowhere and started waving her wand, "I just take this in and this out and shorten this here and perfect!"

"She's right Aunt Louise you should get that on for sure!" I watched as my aunt smiled and returned to the dressing rooms to change out of the gown and back to the robes she was wearing when she had arrived.

Once my aunt was finished she told me, "Go wait outside while I pay for the dresses, ducky I need to talk to Madam Malkin anyway."

I had no qualms about that and happily started walk out, when those two started talking it started to get weird and I didn't want to hear what they had to say.

I was walking toward the doors when I heard a voice that I wished I hadn't, "Draco I want you to buy me that one, I just have to be the best dressed girl there, or I'll just die of embarrassment!"

I looked toward the door as I saw Astoria Greengrass pulling a reluctant Draco Malfoy across the floor by his elbow. I felt bad for the poor guy; it had only been about a week since I told him about what I had discovered. Even if he was looking for his perfect girl he still had to keep up appearances until then. While her voice was less aggravating then Pansy's, it still made me cringe.

He was looking anywhere, but at the woman who had dragged him through the door. I saw Astoria flagging down Madam Malkin's assistant to get the dress out of the shop window for her, it was probably the most expensive dress in the whole shop. It was red and embellished with crystals, and it had a corset bodice that flared out into a poufy skirt that I wouldn't have been caught dead in.

Just then I looked back at Draco, and saw how broken he looked. Just then he turned towards me and smiled. He motioned toward Astoria as she walked into the dressing room and made a motion of taking out his wand and pointing it as his head and then pretended to fall down. I shot him an apologetic smile as I tried to let him know things would work out. I waved as I noticed Aunt Louise was about to turn around and walked toward the door, I started walking out the door and I looked back and saw him smiling at me. He had such a wonderful smile; I couldn't help but smile back. I walked out the exit and within a few moments, Aunt Louise joined me.

My aunt grabbed my wrist and started directing me through the crowd much like she had done earlier as she said, "Madam Malkin will be sending the dresses home ahead of us, we need to head home ourselves, Chris's Grandmother invited us over for dinner and we need to get ready. Come on Ducky!"

Well, it looked like tonight would be interesting. When my aunt and Chris's grandmother were in the same room just about anything could happen, I just hoped it wouldn't end too badly for me was all I could think as we made our way to The Leaky Cauldron to floo back to my aunt's home…


	8. Chapter 8

**A**/**N: I'm so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, My grandma is doing a lot better now and I finally finished my Anthropology class so I should be able to get some more chapters out soon, it's 1:45 in the morning and I just couldn't go to sleep knowing I haven't posted in a while so I hope you all like it, though I did rush this chapter a bit. I want to thank all of my readers especially those of you who review as well as the readers who follow this story and also those of you who have favorited it as well. If you recognise a character from the series, then it belongs to JKR if not it's all mine that and the plot. I love you all enjoy!**

Chapter 8

Once we returned home, I grabbed my bag off of the couch and walked to my old bedroom as Aunt Louise walked to her own room. I threw my bag on to my bed and walked over to the bay window and sat in its ledge. The view was that of Aunt Louise's rose garden, and the sun was just starting to set. The sky was turning the sky beautiful pinks and oranges, and memories of growing up in this very room settled me. I can't tell me how many books I have read over the years while sitting in this very window.

I sat there for about half an hour before I got up from the window and walked into the connected bathroom to take my shower so that I could get ready for dinner at Grandma Bertie's and I placed my wand on the bathroom counter so that I could dry my hair when I got out. As long as I can remember I called her Chris's grandma Grandma Bertie, even though she was Chris's grandma and not my own. Since Chris and I grew up together, and that's what he had called her it just kind of stuck with me too.

Once I was finished taking my shower and washing my hair I wrapped myself in one of Aunt Louise's big fuzzy towels and used my wand to quickly dry my hair since I really didn't have time to let it air dry. I walked into my room and over to my old bed that was covered in midnight blue sheets and a midnight blue comforter that was had crescent moon, stars and crystal ball pattern on it. The walls were a sky blue and the carpet was a beautiful cream. All of the furniture was made out of cherry wood. I had had plenty of opportunities to change the scheme over the years, but it was a comfort I refused to change once I started to go to Hogwarts.

I sat on the bed as I unzipped my weekend bag and pulled out an underwear set and quickly put them on. I picked through my robes and decided on a set of magenta ones and grabbed a pair of pumps to match. I dressed quickly and placed my wand into the inside pocket of my robes. I grabbed my makeup pouch from my bag and returned to the bathroom to do my makeup minimally but beautifully, and finished off my outfit with a pair of simple hoop earrings.

Once I was finished I walked downstairs and met up with Aunt Louise, who was dressed in emerald green robes and shoes to match.

She smiled and put her arm around my waist and as she told me, "You look lovely Ducky."

I smile and replied, "You too Aunt Louise; we should be going though, you know Grandma Bertie won't be happy if we aren't all sitting down for dinner by seven o'clock sharp."

We walked toward the fire place and Aunt Louise picked up the clay jar she keep her Floo Powder in, took off the lid, and grabbed a handful and the passed it to me so that I could do the same. She place the lid back on as I placed the jar back on the mantel piece.

Aunt Louise faced the roaring fireplace and threw her Floo Powder into the fireplace and the flames turned a familiar emerald green and she said very clearly, "472 West Rosewood Plaza," and walked through with me doing the same exact thing following soon behind her.

Once we emerged into Grandma Bertie's living room, Aunt Louise walked toward her old friend and they greeted each other with a friendly hug. Once the separated I walked over and gave Grandma Bertie a hug of my own as she pulled away from me and held me at arm's length, much like my aunt had done earlier this afternoon, again I knew I was in trouble.

Grandma Bertie cocked her head to the side and started scolding me, "Artemis Rene Jameson, why the hell are you so damn thin again? It took Weezy and I forever to get you not all boney before, and now it looks like we have to do it all over again, I love you kid, but if I Chris can keep filled out, I don't know why you can't as well," and she raised her hand to stop me before I could even open my mouth and she sighed, "Kid, just promise me you'll come by more often, and eat better than you usually do on your lunch breaks, junk food won't keep you healthy, you need to eat real protein too."

I smiled, but on the inside I was sighing and really thinking, 'Maybe I should start packing my lunch from now on, my scone and coffee diet that is provided by the Ministry just wasn't cutting it, at least not up to Aunt Louise and Grandma Bertie's standards.'

The three of us all sat down around Grandma Bertie's living room, like the rest of her house it was just so warm and cozy, both in color and just the fact this place have me that warm and fuzzy feeling. I zoned out as the two older ladies talked about something I had no desire to hear about, Grandma Bertie was just like Aunt Louise, Old enough to know better, but at the same time, too damn old to care.

It was about ten minutes to seven o'clock when the fire in the fireplace turned green and out walked Chris and Charlie hand in hand. The three of us all turned to the couple and stood, they walked over to Chris's grandmother and gave her a hug as they exchanged pleasantries, moved on to my aunt and finally did the same to me.

It wasn't long before Grandma Bertie's only house elf, Dusty, walked out to let us know that dinner was on the table. Hermione wouldn't be too happy if she knew about Dusty, but Dusty was well taken care of. Grandma Bertie found her not long after the final battle; Dusty's family had died and therefore Dusty had nowhere to go. Dusty was for all intents and purposes, a free elf, she wore clothes a human toddler would wear could leave anytime she wanted, of course she refused. Dusty and Grandma Bertie were quite close; Dusty took care of the cooking and cleaning and Grandma Bertie took care of her in return.

We all walked toward the small dining room and sat around the table. In front of us sat plates of piping hot Toad in a Hole. It looked great and we all dug in, of course it wasn't long before the two older women started a conversation that Chris, Charlie and I all wished had never happened. The three of us knew it would have begun sooner or later the moment we were made aware the two older women were going to be in the same room as the three of us.

My Aunt Louise wiped her mouth on the napkin that was placed by her plate and looked at my two best friends, "So Christopher, Charlotte, have you decided to start trying for little ones yet?"

My two best friends looked at each other and then at me, Chris turned to my aunt and responded to her question, "No Aunt Weezy, not yet we want to wait until after we get married, and I haven't even asked her yet. Of course, once that happens you'll be one of the first to know."

Grandma Bertie pinched the bridge of her nose, while she laughed silently to herself, "Weezy, would you just leave these kids alone for one day about holing themselves in their room and not coming out until Charlie here is pregnant? I swear woman, is that's all your old wrinkly ass thinks about. Just because you're an old horn dog, doesn't mean that's all we think about too."

Oh no here we go, this is where things got interesting, my aunt leaned back in her chair, "My old wrinkly ass, huh?" at this Aunt Louise raised an eyebrow and smirked, "look who's talking "Miss My Titties Reach My Belly Button"."

Grandma Bertie smirked right back and said, "Well if my titties reach my belly button, then your pussy's is so stretched out we could park the night bus in there"

At this Aunt Louise chuckled and replied with, "Well that may be, but at least my mother didn't have to tie a turkey leg around my neck so that the dog would play with me."

Now it was Grandma Bertie's turn, "Well at least the dog played with me, when you were born, your mama said, 'what a treasure' and you daddy said, 'yes let's go bury it'"

This would go on for at least another hour, this was actually how my aunt and Chris's grandma became friends; one day they started throwing insults at each other until they ended up laughing for several hours. It wasn't that long until they became the close friends they are today. Since Chris, Charlie and I were finished eating the blueberry pie that Dusty had fixed, we excused ourselves from the table and left the two older ladies to their insult throwing while we went out to the back yard to catch up.

Grandma Bertie's yard wasn't as fancy and my aunt's, all she had was a fire pit and some chairs and side tables surrounding it and lots of trees to keep it nice and shady in the summer months. We all sat around the fire pit as Charlie lit the fire with her wand. Dusty came out and left us a bottle of firewiskey, a bucket of ice and some tumblers. Dusty filled the glasses with ice and poured us each a glass of delicious alcohol and left us to our own devices.

Charlie was the first to speak after we all started to drink our firewiskey, "So Artie, has anything interesting happened lately?"

I took a long sip of my firewiskey and replied, "You mean other than the fact that Aunt Louise is dragging me off to some Pureblood party tomorrow, which I still don't know where it will be held at? No, nothing really I mean last Friday I got pissy drunk after another get in get out capture mission, and woke up with one hell of a hangover, but other that no not a damn thing. Work is going great though we have a few leads especially one in Madrid. What about you too anything out of ordinary happen?"

It was Chris's turn to speak now, "The DMCD has been fairly quiet, other that this bigwig Pureblood writing his only son out of his will for marring a muggle nothing's really happened. It was really funny; he ended up leaving all of his fortune to his second wife and their three girls. The son couldn't have given a rat's ass about the whole affair, his mother's family was rolling in galleons and his fortune ended up being three times his father's anyway according to his mother's will. When the boy's father found out about it he about had a heart attack right there at my desk. The bigwig found out his first wife had completely written him out of billions."

We all shared a smile; all of us were glad that while we had plenty to get by on because of our jobs and that we wouldn't have to worry about all of the drama that surrounded many of their clients. By now we were all on out third class of firewiskey, Charlie just now filing up hers; she was always the lightweight of the three of us when it came to drinking.

Charlie took a sip from her glass set it down on the table next to the still half full bottle and smiled as she told me about her week as a lawyer, "So right now at work, I've got my hands full. I have seven muggle divorces, three custody hearings, four wills to delegate and that is just the muggle world, the wizarding world is just as bad, except if I screw any of those up I'll get hexed from here to next Tuesday."

I took a big gulp of my firewiskey and winced a little as it burned my throat on the way down, I sighed once again and spoke, "So basically we're all just a bunch of people who eat, sleep, work and get drunk. How the fuck did we ever let this happen? We used to be fun at one point, now all we do is act like a bunch of boring adults doing the daily grind. Geez we suck," I raised my glass in the air and made a sarcastic toast as I laughed, "to three old fuddy duddies!"

Chris and Charlie raised their glasses in the air and we all drained the rest of our glasses, "To fuddy duddies!"

We all refilled our glasses again and sat around talking for another hour and a half about anything and everything until Aunt Louise and Grandma Bertie came out to fetch us. The two older women had smiles on their faces as they heaved us out of our chairs with strength that they should not have possessed. By this time we were all pretty drunk, somehow after about half an hour they dumped me on the couch while they put Chris and Charlie in bed.

They both came out and hugged each other then Aunt Louise heaved me off the couch and walked me over to the fireplace after Grandma Bertie hugged me and kissed my cheek, "Go home and get some sleep Kiddo, I love ya."

My aunt threw the floo powder into the fire and flooed us both home. She helped me to my old room and took my wand out of my pocket and placed it on the bedside table. She waved her own and a set of pajamas I had packed were suddenly on me. She pulled the sheets back and tucked me in.

Aunt Louise left the room for a moment and came back with a vial of purple potion and placed it next to my wand. Once she was finished she leaned over me and kissed my head as she bid me good night, "My poor little Ducky, Auntie Louise loves you. Get some sleep, you need to look good for tomorrow, you're going to meet your future husband I just know it!"

Before she was even finished her sentence I was already out cold. Aunt Louise walked to the door and closed it silently, as she left she flicked her wand and all of the candles went out and the window closed itself. My aunt walked to her own room and got changed into her nighty and went to sleep. Her dreams were filled with little ones running around her house while their parents were at work…


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I AM SO SORRY IT TOOK ME THIS LONG TO GET THIS OUT. I HAD STARTED THIS YESTERDAY MORNING BUT I KEPT GETTING INTERRUPTED AND THAT NIGHT I GOT ALL EMOTIONAL SO I COULDN'T FINISH IT. I TRIED TO WORK ON THIS THIS MORNING BUT FAMILY ENDED UP COMING OVER TODAY. ANYWAY, I REALLY HOPE YOU ALL LIKE THIS AND IT DOESN'T FEEL RUSHED. I PERSONALLY LIKE THIS CHAPTER IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF. I WANT TO THANK ALL MY READERS ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO REVIEW AND HAVE FAVORITED AND FOLLOW THIS STORY ESPECIALLY THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE STUCK WITH ME SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING. I REALLY LOVE YOU ALL. IF IT ISN'T AN OC OR PART ON MY PLOT SPECIFICALLY THEN IT IS THE PROPERTY OF JKR. IF I OWNED HARRY POTTER I WOULD BE ONE HAPPY GIRL. ENJOY AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU ALL THINK!

Chapter 9

I lay in my old bed as I clutched my head. It was pounding and I didn't even want to open my eyes for fear it would make it worse, but I knew I had to. I could tell it was still mostly dark and for that I was thankful. I rolled over to my right side and hesitantly opened my eyes. I looked on my table to find a purple potion in a vial, a hangover potion, and I sighed in relief. I couldn't help but think to myself, 'Aunt Louise, I love you'

I uncorked the potion and knocked it back, I barely waited a moment when the dizziness faded, my headache disappeared and that terrible nauseated feeling left me. It was a relief to say the least. I really need to just say no when I know I've reached my limit, but alas, I don't think I'll ever learn. Finally after lying in bed for half than hour I left it and headed to the bathroom. When I got in there I took a bath, shaved my legs and underarms, and washed my hair so I wouldn't have to later, it was already eleven o'clock by the time I woke up anyway. I brushed my hair after I towel dried it and walked out into my old bedroom covered only in a big fluffy towel.

I walked to my bag and pulled out an underwear set and along with some cream robes and pumps and got dressed. I knew Aunt Louise was up because I could hear banging coming from the kitchen. I really can't tell you how much I miss waking up to that every morning. No one I had ever met cooked like Aunt Louise, she just had a gift, and truthfully if she was a muggle she could easily have her own five-star restaurant, but the world would never be that lucky.

She must have heard my pumps clicking on the wooden floor because when I entered she turned around and smiled. She had plated the eggs and the pan levitated itself over to the sink and began to wash itself. I walked over to her and hugged her as I said, "Thank you for the potion you're a real lifesaver."

I heard her laugh and I knew she was probably thinking about dragging me into bed last night. It never failed, when the five of us met up at Grandma Bertie's house, I always ended up that way. While out loud I would always blame Dusty for just bringing a bottle of firewiskey without being asked, I knew I really didn't have to drink it, it was just an automatic response these days.

Aunt Louise and I walked around the island and sat down. There were eggs, toast with butter and jam, and porridge. We talked about nothing and at the same time everything that had happened over the last few weeks, though I left out helping Draco with his little mess. She told me about her roses and any "conquests" she had had, not that I wanted to know. When it came to that part of her life I just nod my head at proper moments and ignore it. I knew she needed girl talk just as much as I did sometimes, even though she saw Grandma Bertie last night she still liked to share her "stories" with me.

After breakfast we walked out to the garden and stayed there for a while, Aunt Louise wanted to relax for a while, and I totally agreed with her, though I refused to sunbathe, I was a true ginger, more that fifteen minutes in the sun and I already started to burn. Sunburns really sucked, so while she lay out in the sun I was nestled happily on a blanket under a tree where the rays of the sun couldn't touch me. I stayed there for a while just looking up at the clouds slowly changing shape and eventually fell asleep. She woke me up about three hours later, I don't know how I slept so long but it was time to eat and then go get dressed for tonight. I still didn't know where the party was, but as excited as Aunt Louise was, I was just as reluctant. Hours of dancing with every eligible bachelor who was more likely looking to score, rather than actually be in a relationship. I had plenty of offers for one night stands, but I never go to these parties looking for this, tonight wouldn't be any different.

My aunt and I ate sandwiches before we headed to our separate rooms to get dressed. I walked to the closet to get my dress and shoes. I had about three hours before I had to be ready for the long car ride to the party. I laid my dress and shoes on my bed. I walked to the bathroom and ran some bathwater; I really didn't need a bath so I just planned on soaking in some scented water for a while. I pulled my hair up in a high ponytail to keep it dry and climbed in. I chose to soak in orchid oils, because most women there would have chosen to smell like roses, and I knew I wanted to stand out above the rest.

After a while I got out of the tub I dried off and sat down at my dressing table, and started on my makeup. I chose silver eye shadow and powder blue eyeliner with black mascara. I used just enough blush to bring some color back into my cheeks that my foundation had pulled out. I chose to use a pink lipstick with cool undertones to bring out the fullness of my lips and put the perfect finishing touches to my look. I chose to wear blue and white cascading diamond earrings and a necklace, bracelet and ring to match.

I thought about what I wanted to do with my hair while I was soaking in the tub, I think that is what really took me up most the time while I was in there, figuring out what I wanted to do. After several ideas I had chosen a curly updo with the front pieces framing my face in softer curls. Luckily for me, I was a witch, because I was never very good at trying to do my own hair the muggle way, other than just brushing it and putting it up into a high ponytail. Let's face it, I'm a tomboy and if I didn't have Aunt Louise and lots of smart Ravenclaw friends to teach me beauty spells, I don't know where I would be right now or what I would be doing.

It took me about half an hour even with magic to get my hair the way I wanted it, and once it was the way I wanted I hurried up and used a spell that would keep it perfect as well as my makeup. I still had half an hour before I had to get into the car Aunt Louise had rented from the Ministry. I went to the bed and picked up my dress, I carefully slid on just like I had the first time I had worn it and zipped it up. I sat on my bed and put on the strappy heels I had picked out to go with the dress. I slid open my dress and slipped on my thigh holster for my wand and secured it neatly to my left thigh. I know it's a strange place to put a wand, but being an auror, you learn to be creatively prepared.

With fifteen minutes remaining Aunt Louise knocked on my door, and I walked over to answer it. Aunt Louise was dressed in the dress and shoes she had picked out yesterday and she looked amazing, her normally straight hair was pulled back into a neat bun and her bangs framed her face. She wore diamond stud earrings in her ears and a tennis bracelet, necklace and ring to match. Her makeup was tastefully done and her recently acquired tan was perfect. She looked me over and smiled, "Oh Ducky, you look beautiful, but there is just one thing missing, come sit at the dressing table."

I did as my aunt asked and walked over to the dressing table. I sat down carefully and she got to work. She took several bobby pins and transfigured them into tiny powder blue flower buds to match my dress, and with a wave of her wand they appeared in my hair like a crown, circling around the base of my curls. It was the perfect finishing touch that made it all, for a lack of a better word, well perfect.

I looked back at her in the mirror and smiled, she really had done a wonderful job, not just with my hair, but with raising me. I really didn't have time to think about it because she hauled me up out of my chair and ushered me downstairs.

It wasn't long before the Ministry car arrived and the driver knocked on the front door. The driver was and elderly man, with short hair and a kind smile. He led us out to the car and opened the door for us. The driver held out his hand so that he could help Aunt Louise into the car, as he did she sent him a flirtatious smile. Once Aunt Louise was inside the car he helped me in as well. He closed the door and got into the driver's seat and the car drove off.

I looked at my aunt; she had a silly, dreamy smile on her face that would rival Luna Lovegood's any day of the week. I decided perhaps maybe it was best to just ignore her and look out for the window. It always felt strange traveling in a Ministry car, because it was like sitting in a moving living room. To me those are just two things that don't go together, but I guess it is more comfortable than any muggle car could ever be, I mean I did see that old Ford Anglia that used to drive itself through The Forbidden Forest.

The drive from Aunt Louise's house was a long one so it made sense to leave as early as we did. Every now and then I would look over at my aunt and she still would have that same dreamy smile on her lips, and truth be told, I don't know if I wanted to know what she was thinking about.

The county side slowly changed into a more suburban look and back again as time wore on. This would have to be the longest car ride I have ever taken, it was long and boring, and it made me wish I had thought to bring a good book, the only thing that was there to read was The Daily Prophet, and Aunt Louise told me enough of its contents over our sandwiches this afternoon. By the time we finally arrived it had gotten dark outside, and the house we were closing in on looked beautiful, covered in white twinkling lights that looked like they could have been fairies.

I didn't know where we were, or whose house this was, because my aunt still refused to tell me, the only thing I knew was that this party was not a Narcissa Malfoy affair. This mansion was too small to be the Malfoy Manor, but too big to be one of the many of the pureblood's homes I had visited in the past for a party much like this one.

The driver, whom had introduced himself as Horace though I must not have heard at the time, helped Aunt Louise out of the car and then helped me as well. My aunt looked at him dreamily and said, "Thank You Horace, we will see you once it is time to leave."

My aunt looked over at me and asked, "Are you ready Ducky?" and of course whether I was or not, I nodded my head and we proceeded up the steps towards the front door.

Before we could even knock the front door of the mansion was opened by a house elf, and we were greeted, "Welcome Misses to the home of the Mrs. Zabini."

'Zabini, Oh no, not good, no wonder my crazy aunt refused to tell me where we were going.' I thought.

If I had known, I would have skipped this night all together. I couldn't help but to think as I bit my lower lip, 'Why me?'

Don't get me wrong, the Zabinis were great, Miss Zabini was a beautiful witch and Blaise was great as long as he wasn't drinking. Unfortunately this would be a party, in which adults attended so there would of course be lots of Firewiskey. I looked over at my aunt, whom had the grace to send me an apologizing smile, as I glared. I was pretty perturbed with her because she had known all along and yet still decided to keep this from me.

We were directed toward the ballroom where we were announced, "Miss Louise Moore of Surrey, and Miss Artemis Jameson of London."

As with many of the other guests that had entered, many looked our way while many others didn't. My aunt made her way to the table with the other older women trying to marry of their children and grandchildren, while I made my way over to the bar. I at least needed one drink under my belt if I was going to be ready for the onslaught of bachelors my aunt would be sending my way. Once I had glass of firewiskey in hand I made my way towards the open doors that led out to the balcony that overlooked to the garden.

I leaned against the railing as I drank my drink. The garden was huge and had so many different breeds of roses, Aunt Louise would be so jealous. It was covered in what seemed to be the same type of fairy lights as the front of the house; there were benches spread throughout and trees that would provide perfect shade during the summer months.

Once I was finished with my drink, I took a deep breath and walked as gracefully as possible back into the ballroom. Already I could see my aunt pointing her finger in my direction while talking to a young man. I looked back in front of me as I saw Astoria dragging poor Draco onto the dance floor. I saw him turn toward me and I gave him an encouraging smile in response to the kill me now look I was receiving.

Before I could look away, I was tapped on the shoulder by a handsome man, by the name of George Greenbeck, "Miss would you care to dance with me? Your Aunt Louise, I believe her name was, sent me over after talking to my own grandmother. They won't stop badgering us until we share at least one dance." George gave me a smile as I nodded. We walked out to the dance floor, and a Waltz began to play. George was quite graceful for someone so tall; he had to have been at least 6' 4". We danced and talked about the weather, I was obvious that if given the chance we could have been great friends, but nothing more and we both knew that.

Once the song was over, another man whom I saw my aunt talking to earlier, asked to cut in for the next dance. I danced and smiled politely as he did the same, though I could tell his heart wasn't in it, every now and then he would look across the ballroom towards a beautiful brunette. The song ended and I gave him a smile, "Go get her before someone else does!" and with that I gave him a gentle shove. The man smiled gratefully and made his way over to her.

Again, another man made his way towards me. Again, this man was sent by my aunt, again I agreed to dance, though this man, whom I didn't take the time to learn his man, stepped on my feet more times than I can count. I politely thanked him and walked toward the first table I could reach so that I could examine my big toe. It was bruised, but not broken, and the witch next to me leaned over and muttered a spell while pointing her wand towards my toe.

She straightened as I felt the pain go away, "Poor thing, another one of Cecil's victims, I see, I swear my brother has two left feet. The name's Pauline by the way and you are?"

As Pauline stuck her hand out I replied while shaking it, "Artemis, nice to meet you."

We sat out the next song and drank a glass of firewiskey that a house elf brought by. Apparently she was two years older than me and she went to Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and I told her of Hogwarts. Once the song was over, and our Firewiskey gone, two young men came up and asked us to dance, and of course Pureblood etiquette required us to accept. The dancing went on for an hour or so and finally, I excused myself from the dance floor for a bit of fresh air.

I walked back out to the balcony, and looked out over the garden once more; I took a deep breath and held it as a pair of arms wrapped tightly around my own effectively pinning my arms to my side. Damn my relaxed state, for even a moment I let my guard down and look what happens. I tried to struggle loose but the arms around me were just too strong. I could smell Firewiskey on the breath that was hitting my neck and I shivered rather fiercely, but not out of pleasure. I whimpered when I felt a pair of lips sloppily covered my pulse point. I could feel tears well up and spill out of my eyes, had it not been for the spell I had place on my makeup it would have been ruined. I tried to scream, make any noise for that matter, but nothing would come out, only a strangled little croak.

I felt the body try to lead my back inside, and I moved against my will out of the ballroom, I know there would be a mark left behind but there was nothing I could do, except pray that someone would see and come help me. I was led clumsily away from anyone and out toward a side door, the door was opened by an unknown force and I was pushed through it, and when I felt the body that had me in its grasp being forcibly pulled from mine.

I was pulled into another pair of arms, this one comfortable, all fear I held at what could have happened to me vanished. I closed my eyes and leaned into the embrace without even looking up, but the scent this very obvious man was putting off was very familiar.

I heard the man who held me before stumble before falling, and I heard my savior speak, "Blaise, mate, what in the bloody hell were you thinking, get out of here, now!"

I heard Blaise get up and stagger off back toward the main ballroom as I slowly looked up into the face of my savior. My violet eyes met his cool ice blue ones, and he, Draco Malfoy smiled down at me. He reached up and swept a piece of hair out of my face and asked, "Artie are you ok? You seem pretty shaken up, I would have gotten to you sooner, but I couldn't lose Astoria very easily."

I sighed contentedly and hugged him, tight, as I responded, "I'm fine now; I don't know what could have happened if not for you, I couldn't move him at all, he was just so strong."

For some reason I couldn't look away from his eyes and I hadn't let go, and to my astonishment neither had he. Before I knew what was happening I felt myself lean closer and my eyes slowly close. Our lips brushed and I felt myself lean deeper into his embrace. Draco put slightly more pressure against my lips once he felt me kiss him back. Our lips started moving on their own accord, first slowly then fiercer. When his tongue slid over my lips, I eagerly opened my mouth and our tongues danced a fiery dance and I felt my knees go weak. I felt his arms hold me tighter to keep me from falling and to keep our lips from separating. Neither one of us wanted to break away from each other but the need for air became too great.

Neither of us could catch our breath, and our lips were slightly swollen. Draco placed his forehead against mine as he looked into my eyes, I couldn't have stopped what came breathily out of my mouth if I had tried, "Wow!" and as soon and it left me I heard an equally breathy, "Yeah!"

We stayed like that for a while with our eyes closed until we heard footsteps, and I heard Draco say, "We better get back, I'll go this way," pointing in the opposite direction, "and you go back out the door you came through."

He quickly pulled out a wand and slid it over my pulse point as I felt the slight pain go away from Blaise's assault on my neck. I heard him quickly say, "By the way Artie, you look beautiful tonight." and I smiled at him. We each hurried off in our different directions, but not before looking at each other once more and smiling.

I went back outside for some fresh air before it was even noticed I was gone. Five minutes later, I saw Aunt Louise, with a handsome young man on her arm. She had introduced us to each other, but I couldn't tell you his name even if I really tried, I felt my aunt give me a gentle shove as we headed toward the dance floor. I danced with several more bachelors that were thrown my way though I couldn't tell you any one thing about any of them.

By the end of the night I had crossed gazes with him several times, but neither of us dared to go near each other, he still had pretenses to hold up. I didn't drink another drop of firewiskey; I was already drunk on the taste of his tongue. I was in a daze as Aunt Louise pulled me back to the car after many goodbyes; the daze continued as my aunt and Horace shamelessly flirted, and it continued on the whole way home, this of course didn't go unnoticed but Aunt Louise. A smile spread across her face, as she pulled me out of the car and tucked me into bed.

That night would be the first time of what I hoped would be many times I would go to sleep with Draco Malfoy on my lips and on my mind…


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: First of all, I am so sorry to keep you all waiting a month, things have been so busy between college, family and other random bullshit that I just couldn't get around to writing much less posting. I really hope you like this chapter, it took a while to write and I was trying to build on the story as well as let you all in on Artie's other bad habit. I hope everyone likes it and I would love to hear reviews! If it's not in the books it's mine but if you recognize it you can thank JKR!

Chapter 10

I woke up earlier than I though was possible after turning in so late last night. I looked at the clock on my old bed side table and saw that it was barely going on seven o'clock in the morning. For once I woke up after a ball my aunt had drug me to without a hangover. I think I can attribute that to the fact after the kiss I shared with Draco, I was no longer feeling the effects of firewiskey, the only thing that kept me in a daze that night was the taste of his tongue on mine and the feeling of my slightly swollen lips.

If I were to be completely honest with myself in this very moment, as long as I had known Draco, I never even imagined I would end up in his arms like I did last night. Not once in the ten years I had known him did I ever picture myself pressed against him like that. Never would I have even entertained the thought of meeting him alone with our lips locked and our tongues dancing so fiercely, but now that I experienced something so wonderful as that I can't help wondering what it would feel like for us to be pressed together like we were without our clothes on.

'He didn't have the title of the Slytherin Sex God for no reason, and if that kiss said anything about what he was capable of doing with that mouth of his, well I would gladly worship at that alter any day.'

As wonderful as that thought was, I realize that last night opened a can of worms that I neither wanted to close nor even think of the ramifications it would cause. The question on my mind now was, 'Did he want to see where that kiss would lead us or now that he had time to think it over was it just a mistake that should never happen again?'

I'm afraid to find out the answer to that question. Just thinking about the kiss we shared had my panties wetter then they had ever been in my life, and that was saying something. It scared me to think that last night was the end.

Once again I found myself battling myself in my own head, 'I know I was the one who gave him hope of a future with someone else, but what if I wasn't that someone else? What if he didn't even want to entertain the thought of us going anywhere at all? No Artie, you can't think that way, if nothing could have come from that kiss then why did he react the way he did. Two people who have no interest in each other don't kiss like that…even if they are drunk.'

I had to stop thinking like this so I decided to go take a shower and get my mind off of it for a while I knew if I kept it up I would drive myself crazy. It was still early and I knew I had to get today started. I walked into the bathroom and undressed myself as I reached into the shower and adjusted the water so that it could heat up before I got in, the last thing I needed was ice cold water to shock me out of my senses. Once the water was just right I climbed in and showered and washed my hair. Once I was done I sat on the floor of the shower and just let the water fall on to me from above. I had to have stayed there for at least half an hour, because my fingers and toes started to prune.

After I was finished in the shower I got out and dried off. I walked into my old bedroom and changed into a set of hunter green robes with matching pumps. I pulled out my wand and packed all of the belongings I had brought with me into my bag and then proceeded to clean up my room. Today I was returning back to my own flat, tonight I had to return to work whether I wanted to or not.

I wouldn't return to my crazy Aunt Louise's home for a while; pureblood parties weren't something that happened every weekend and Aunt Louise knew my job came first and foremost. I knew it wouldn't be too long before I returned; somehow she always got me to come back.

I grabbed my bag and walked down the stairs and into the living room where I left my bag on the couch so that all I had to do was grab it before I left. For once I figured I would cook breakfast for my aunt, instead of the other way around.

I walked to the kitchen and grabbed a loaf of day old bread as well as eggs, cheese and bacon. I sliced the bread into thick slices of bread and popped them into the oven for toasting. I grabbed a bowl and cracked the eggs, put in salt and pepper and a little milk to make them fluffy. Once I was done I place a pan on the stove with a little oil for frying as well as another pan for the bacon. I made scrambled the eggs with cheese and fried up the bacon until they were just right. Once the bread was toasted I pulled it out of the oven and buttered it. Just as I finished plating up breakfast I heard my aunt coming down the stairs and into the kitchen.

I placed the food on the island as well as some pumpkin juice and climbed on the stool as Aunt Louise chose to take the one next to me. I could tell she wasn't fully awake yet though the sandman's sand was no longer in the corners of her eyes. I could tell she was pleasantly surprised to see food already ready, but I could also see the sadness in her eyes I knew was there because of my leaving today.

We both started to eat as we talked about the night before, "Did you meet anyone last night worth your time Ducky?"

What would I say? Yes or no. I decided on the truth, but not all of it. I didn't want to say too much and get her hopes up on little ones just yet.

I took a drink of my juice before I answered, "Actually yes, though I'm not sure where it will go, so I'm not going to say any names, so don't ask."

She sat there and smiled after taking a sip of her own. She knew I wouldn't crack so she just kept talking. "That's good Ducky, I hope it works out well. I received an owl this morning. It was from Horace, you know the driver from last night? He wants to take me out to lunch this Wednesday. He called me beautiful, imagine that", at that she smiled, "I said yes, perhaps we'll really hit it off, what do you think?"

She seemed genuinely happy for the first time in a long time when it concerned anything to do with dating. Sure my aunt had lots of stories about her conquests, but I had never seen this happy for just an idea of a date with an older gentleman her own age.

I smiled in return, "He seemed very nice Aunty. You think you two should hit it off great. I really do.", and I did, she deserved someone just as much as she thought I did. I hadn't seen her this excited in a long time and I hoped it lasted past just a few months. To tell the truth, I can't really remember her ever finding The One in all the years I've known her, perhaps Horace would finally be The One.

We soon finished eating and she levitated the dirty dishes to the sink and they began to wash themselves. Soon it was time to leave, Trixie still had plenty of food, of that I was sure, but I still needed to get home and let her out to fly for a while. I hugged my aunt as we said our good byes in front of the fireplace. She held the jar of floo powder for me to grab a handful and replaced it once I had enough. She leaned over and kissed my cheek as I threw the floo powder into the fire and clearly said the address of my flat. I walked through the emerald flames as I took one last look at my aunt only to see her smiling back as she yelled, "I'll see you soon my Ducky!"

I walked through the fireplace as I stepped foot into my own flat, it was just as I had left it. I walked to my bedroom and used my wand to unpack. I walked back into the living room once I was done, there in the corner, on her perch sat Trixie, like I had thought she still had plenty of food though I could tell she longed to stretch her wings in flight. I held out my forearm for her to hop onto and she gladly did. She snuggled into my cheek as I fed her on of the treats my aunt snuck into my bag when I wasn't looking.

I walked her over to the French doors and opened them not only to get some fresh air into the flat but to release Trixie into the lovely weather that London had this wonderful morning. I walked over to the balcony and released Trixie as I sat down in the lounge chair I had placed there for mornings like this.

I sat there staring out at downtown London, once again with nothing to do my mind went off on its own. I reached under my chair and grabbed my favorite bad habit. It was something I hadn't done for a while, three and a half months to be exact, I smoked a cigarette. I knew once I lit up and took a drag of that delicious smoke into my lungs I would be hooked all over again, but to tell the truth I really didn't care. Tonight I would be going under cover in Madrid, and within the bar I was going to, it was bound to happen anyway.

The bar we were going to was where most of the wizards with bad reputations chose to hang out in a big city like Madrid. The bar was in a shadier part of the city; it wasn't really somewhere I would have gone on my own, it just wasn't safe. Of course, where else would a death eater on the run go?

Unlike Harry, Ron and even Emile, I could blend into any crowd. I always could fit in with just about any group of people I was put in with. It didn't matter how much Polyjuice Potion was given to the rest of my group, sooner or later they would slip up or just run out of time before it wore off should there not be a sufficient supply to last them.

Amongst fighting, going undercover was one of my best skills back at auror training; I was top of my class. I would be going in while the guys stayed outside in the alley while I "worked my magic" as they liked to call it. Since the bar I would be in has a constant cloud of tobacco smoke that barely anyone could walk through without already being accustomed to the sting in their eyes, I would end up smoking again anyway purely on the smell reaching my nose. It was just a fact.

I started thinking about the kiss again, and before I knew it, it was already two o'clock in the afternoon. I put out what ended up being my fourth cigarette in six hours as I saw Trixie return from stretching her wings. What shocked me was that as she returned with a letter attached to her leg. It was a strange occurrence, she had never returned from a flight with a letter before, at least not intentionally.

Trixie landed on my forearm as I turned back into my flat. I set her on her perch as I untied the letter and placed it into my pocket. I walked to kitchen, set the tea kettle on the stove and waited for the water to boil. I refused to open the letter until I was back in my favorite chair with a nice cup of tea. When it was done brewing, I had a nice cup of Earl Grey with cream and sugar in hand.

Once I sat down in my comfy chair, I sat my tea on the side table after taking a sip. I pulled the rolled up letter from the pocket of my robes and untied it. I unrolled it and began to read.

_Dear Artie,_

_I know the last thing you expected to see when your owl returned to you was for her to be carrying a letter, but there was just something I had to know and as I was about to send this letter I saw her in a tree not far off. I figured you wouldn't mind if she brought it back to you since I'm sure she was headed home soon anyway. I was hoping I could take you to lunch tomorrow during my break from work. I know this great restaurant that I think you would really enjoy. I would really like to chat with you and see where things could go. I haven't been able to get you out of my head since last night. Please let me know whether you accept my invitation via owl. _

_Awaiting your reply, _

_Draco M._

I was shocked; I didn't think I would hear from him this soon, or maybe even at all. I quickly grabbed some quill, ink and some parchment. I quickly replied as neatly as I could considering my hand writing was less than pristine.

_Dear Draco,_

_I agree the last thing I expected to see Trixie carrying back with her was a letter, though I'm glad she did. I would be happy to accompany you to lunch tomorrow. I would really like to talk to you to as well. I'll meet you at The Leaky Cauldron around noon. I can't seem to get you out of my head either. I can't wait._

_Until tomorrow, _

_Artie J._

I felt bad about sending Trixie back out after she just got back home not even an hour ago, but I needed her to get the reply to Draco before he got off work. If the reply returned to Malfoy Manor, there was not telling what would happen. I asked Trixie to deliver the letter after I rolled it up much the same as the one he had sent me.

Once I released Trixie back into the sky to deliver the return message to Draco, realized that I needed to change for work myself if I wanted to be able to go get some dinner before work. Knowing it would be a long night, I started to get dressed. I chose to use some glamor spells to change my skin, hair and eye color rather than use the Polyjuice Potion like was the original plan Harry wanted to go with.

After a few waves of my wand my normally pale skin tone deepened to a rich caramel color that was the norm in Spain, my long curly auburn hair became straight and inky black and finally my eyes became a rich chocolate brown. I swept my hair up into a high ponytail and put on my makeup. My normal makeup just wouldn't do tonight so instead I chose to use a metallic silver eye shadow and extremely thick black eyeliner with a flare that traveled out past the edge of my eyes. I also wore minimal rose colored blush and a deep berry colored lipstick. If someone didn't know it was me to begin with you wouldn't know it was really me at all.

With my makeup done, I walked to my closet and began getting dressed in something the guys had chosen for me the last Thursday, because it would fit the image I was trying to portray. I started with the skirt; it was a mini blue jean skirt with zippers for decoration. Next came the shirt, it was a bright red tube top that stopped three inches below the bottom of my bust and showed off my pierced belly button and the silver ball I chose to wear in it. I also wore a short black leather vest over the top of tube top. To finish it all off I put on a pair of knee high black leather boots with five inch platform wedge heels.

I grabbed my dragon hide trench coat and put it over the top of my outfit so that I could walk through Diagon Alley without many stares or possible lewd offers. It was nearing on five o'clock as I walked down the flight of stairs and out the front of my flat building. I walked toward the corner store to grab a new pack of Amber Leafs from the muggle shop owner. I pulled out a ten pound bill to pay for the pack and just stuffed the change in my pocket without counting it. Once I got out of the store I packed the pack, put a cigarette between my lips lit it with a muggle zippo. I took a long drag and headed the few blocks toward The Leaky Cauldron.

I walked in and many people turned toward me as I entered through the front doors. I sat at my normal table with my back towards the wall and waved over the bar keep. I ordered a spiced beef sandwich and a butterbeer. I took my time eating and once done I went out to the back alley and tapped the bricks in the proper order. Diagon Alley opened up to me as I made my way to the Ministry Of Magic. Once again I got a few looks as I made my way but nowhere near as many as I would have had I not worn my trench coat over the top of it.

As I was walking in Draco was walking out. I smiled at him as he did a double take. He squinted at me sideways as I nodded in conformation and kept walking. I looked back as I made it towards the elevators. He smiled at me one last time before his face fell and he walked out the front doors not once looking back.

As I rode the elevators down to my department I couldn't help but hope tonight the rogue put up a fight so that I could kick some ass unlike how it had been going as of late. I made it to my department's door and walked in as the room burst out in wolf whistles…


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO COME OUT, I DO HAVE A RATHER STRESSFUL LIFE OUTSIDE OF AS OF LATE. MY GRANDMA JUST GOT OUT OF THREE DIFFERENT HOSPITALS THIS AFTERNOON. I HOPE THIS UPDATE MAKES UP FOR IT THOUGH. ENJOY GUYS! IF ANYTHING IS RECOGNIZABLE THEN IT BELONGS TO JKR IF NOT IT'S ALL A PRODUCT OF MY WARPED LITTLE MIND.

Chapter 11

Once the wolf whistles died down I sat down at the table with a cup of coffee. Harry had us gather around said table to go over the plan. Tonight we would be going after an especially nasty death eater by the name of Jaymes O'Shay.

Jaymes was barely five years older than I was, and had attended Durmstrang. He had escaped capture on the night of the battle. Unlike many of the younger death eaters he had just about as much blood on his hands as the older, more experienced death eaters. I remember seeing him during the battle as I ran in the opposite direction from him as I tried to reach Jarrod. Fortunately at the time I didn't have to square off with him, at the time he would have easily killed me without batting an eyelash. Unfortunately though he had killed twelve third years before they had even known he was coming.

I actually had a pretty good shot tonight if it came to a duel to take him down. At Hogwarts I only had the training Harry had given the DA members. If I hadn't been saved by unknown savior that night I doubt I would even be here to tell my story at this very moment. I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to thank my savior, but I refused to need saving again. Three years of auror training had trained me well. Going against O'Shay would put every ounce of that training to good use.

As soon as Harry went when over the game plan one last time and I removed my dragon hide coat we found ourselves apperating to downtown Madrid. It was already eleven o'clock in Spain. We used the darkness of night to travel though the alleys without being seen all the way to our destination. I straightened out my skirt and smoothed out my tube top and made sure my wand was secured inside the secret pocket of my leather vest before I before turning to the guys.

They looked up and down though I tried to ignore that little fact for the moment as Harry turned to me as began to speak, "Remember Artemis, get him to follow you out to this alley by any means necessary and then we'll take him down."

I took a deep breath and let it out before I addressed my three other teammates as I turned toward the door and got ready to go through it, "I'll do my best guys to get him out here as soon as possible, but there's no telling so you might as well make yourselves comfortable, but not too comfortable. Wish me well guys."

I walked through the door without looking back. The bar went by the name of La Rose Negra. It was rather well known for the shady people who inhabited it on a daily basis. The bar had a dark and smoky atmosphere, the dingy walls that were once a cream color but now more of a yellow, brownish color that was bound to happen after the change in management fifteen years ago. The floors while not slick were coated in a thick grim that could only have happened after years of not being cleaned properly. The bar was long and made of treated wood that seemed to have become stained beyond belief and the bar stools were wooden with leather cushions that had different degrees of rips and tears. The tables and chairs that lined one end of the room were in the same condition and make as the bar and barstools. There were already several patrons inhabiting the tables and bar.

The barman appeared to be in his early fifties, he could have been much younger, but with the constant cigarette smoke and liquor could have easily aged him prematurely. He had green eyes and a bad case of male patterned baldness, the hair that could be seen was salt and pepper, pulled back into a tail at the back of the neck. His clothes were old but still in nice condition, I really couldn't tell you what his shoes looked like from here because of the bar being in the way.

I surveyed the room looking for Jaymes O'Shay as I walked toward the bar. I saw him in the corner. Though I did look at him long enough to know I had his attention, I kept most of my attention on the barman. I ordered two tumblers full of firewiskey as I leant against the bar with my elbows leaning on the bar top and my back slightly arched to make my already nicely shaped ass look all the better in the miniskirt the boys had chosen for me.

Once the barman gave me my drinks I slowly sauntered over towards the man I was here to capture. I put more swish in my hips than I would normally have as I slowly walked toward Jaymes O'Shay. I took in every detail there was to behold. He reminded me of the bottom of the barrel in society.

His hair was greasy, his face was fairly dirty and as I got closer I could see that his nails were fairly dirty as well. His robes were dirty and torn, and it looked like he had slept in them for a week or more. The closer I got to him the more the smell wafted off him. I saw him smile at me with his yellow almost brown, crooked teeth that made Marcus Flint look like a prince. I was disgusted by his appearance, but I kept it off my face and out of my body language. I can honestly say, when he was at the battle he looked nothing like he did now. He was a shadow of the man I had seen kill those third years. The once proud pureblood death eater was now reduced to a man on the run. These last three years were not good to him and the life he would endure in Azkaban would be even worse for him.

I walked up to him and placed a tumbler in front of him and placed to other in front of myself as I took the seat next to him leaning up close to him, I asked him in the sweetest voice I could muster, "Care for some poison, Sweetie?"

I saw him lick his lips as he blatantly stared at my tits. If luring him out to the alley wasn't my objective I would have hexed him right there, purely on the fact the mere sight of him made me want to toss up the spiced beef sandwich I had eaten not two hours ago.

I leaned in and asked him taking a sip of my own firewiskey, "Are you going to drink that firewiskey or are you going to babysit it there handsome?"

Seeing me take a sip of my own drink had him guzzling his own down faster than I could blink my eyes. I reached into my outer vest pocket and pulled out an Amber Leaf and put on between my lips as I help my pack out to him in offering. He eyed me in suspicion and took one for himself. I reached into the opposite pocket and took out the muggle zippo and lit his cigarette before lighting my own. I took that wonderfully dangerous smoke into my lungs before I leaned back in my own chair, yet still very close to O'Shay.

I took another sip of my drink before once again addressing the man in front of me, "So handsome, tell me about yourself, you seem like an interesting man from what I can see."

He smiled a disgusting smile before taking a long drag of the cigarette he held between his filthy fingers and signaled he barman for two more firewiskeys and then began to talk in a thick Irish accent, " Me name is Jaymes O'Shay, and I'm from Dublin, though I went to school in Russia, I did."

"I'm Makayla," I smiled, and actually spoke the truth, "Mm an Irishman, a thick Irish accent always makes me all hot and bothered, just hearing it makes my panties all soaked." I would have to say that this time though, it was having the opposite effect on me.

I leaned in closer to him, ignoring the smell of shit that was coming off his breath, "Handsome, you keep talking with that sexy voice of yours, I might just have to take you back to my place and let you help me with this little problem I seem to be having…what do you say Jaymes, will you help me scratch this little itch I seem to be getting?"

I could see the lust clouding his eyes as he downed another glass of firewiskey, and I leaned in putting my hand on his shoulder, rubbing my tits on his arm ever so slightly, as I leaned in and nuzzled the shell of his ear with the tip of my nose, "What do you say handsome, you come home with me and let me take care of that growing bulge that is growing in your pants," I reached in and cupped it as I said this, "and you can be as rough as you want, though I must warn you I tend to bite and leave claw marks down a man's back as he fucks me. What do you say we get out of here and back to my place?"

He placed his hand over mine and squeezed harder, and much to my disgust it grew even harder, "I say I'll take you up on that offer lassie, I can't wait to bury meself in that tight little pussy of yours. I say you show me the way outta here and now lass."

I reached into my vest pocket and grabbed another cigarette, put it between my lips and lit it, while offering O'Shay another one, this time thought he declined, "The only thing I be wanting to wrap my lips around right now be those sweet titties of yours lass."

We stood up and I laced my fingers through his as we walked to the side door that exited out into the alley. I leaned into his side and pressed my tits into his arm much like I had earlier and said in the sexiest voice I could muster under the circumstances, "Come on you handsome son of a bitch, let's get out of here before I jump you in front of all these people."

Once those words were out of my mouth he started dragging me faster out the door, the bulge in his pants leading the way. He opened the door and led me outside. Once there he pushed me into one of the walls that made up the alley. I could feel his little friend poking me in my stomach as he grinded into me and I looked to the side where Harry, Ron and Emile were hiding in the shadows. I pretended to moan as I nodded toward them.

I reached into the hidden pocket in my vest and said as sexily I could, while digging the tip of my wand into his neck, "Jaymes O'Shay, you are under arrest by the orders of the Ministry of Magic in London. Now we can do this the hard way or you can come quietly, I'm sure those sexy little Dementors would have a field day raping that disgusting little ass of yours."

I felt him shove me into the wall as he reached into his robes and pulled out his wand, and aimed at me, "Crucio!" I was able to narrowly dodge out of the way before the unforgivable hit me. I returned it with a defensive spell of my own, "Cave Inimicum! Guys, stay back!"

Of course the guys didn't listen, the spell kept him away long enough for my team mates to reach me but somehow he was able to break it quicker than he should have. He moved toward me and shot another charm my way trying to effectively sever my wand hand from my body, "Diffindo!" Luckily I was able to cast a spell at the same time quickly side stepping, "Deprimo!" Fortunately it hit on his left shoulder and a small hole was blown clear through.

O'Shay fell to his knees as a horrendous scream filled the air, I heard Harry cast a spell effectively binding him, "Incarcerous!" Ropes appeared out of thin are and bound O'Shay to the point where the only movement that could take place was O'Shay's shallow breathing. Ron came up behind Harry and levitated the rogue death eaters body away from the spot he was in, and Emile did damage control, as he checked to make sure that no one had heard the skirmish and had come running, but when he stepped out of the alley the roughens that frequented La Rosa Negra just walked on as if there wasn't a horrendous scream that ripped through the air and a duel hadn't just taken place.

The four of us walked out of the alley as Ron levitated the man behind us, the whole way hearing O'Shay curse us for even being born. Emile had had enough and fired the silencing charm his way, "Silencio!" O'Shay was still screaming from the looks of things but nothing was coming out of his mouth.

We walked to a local pub that was connected to the floo network. We all got strange looks as we walked toward the fireplace. Harry grabbed a handful of floo powder and very clearly said, "Azkaban Auror's Entrance!" We each walked through the emerald flames as follows Ron whilst levitating O'Shay, Harry, Emile and then me.

When we arrived we were greeted by one of the wizards in charge of guarding the prison. Harry spoke quickly, "We have Jaymes O'Shay, known death eater, and he is to be escorted to a cell where he will await trial for his crimes."

Quickly O'Shay was taken away as Harry continued to give a full report for the booking, I found myself zoning out as I waited for the time to come for the four of us to go home. In five minutes we were able to leave and return to the Ministry to write up our reports. We returned to the fireplace that only aurors could use and flooed back to the Ministry of Magic. We exited one of the many fireplaces by the entrance doors.

Once we were back at our desks I removed the charms I had placed on myself. I had almost forgotten about them by the time we returned, almost. I sat at my desk filling out the mission report, writing about all of the charms I had used against O'Shay and the ones he had tried to use against me. It wasn't long before we were off work; we each said our good byes, a smile on our faces.

It had been long in coming, for the first time in a long time we had a rogue fight back, tonight reminded me of how it all started for us, before death eaters started to get careless, before all we had to do was sneak in and capture them in their sleep. I didn't have the urge to walk out the entrance of the Ministry's front doors and head straight to the bar of The Leaky Cauldron, I found myself lighting up a cigarette and walking straight out the front doors of said pub and out into the London twilight.

I found myself just walking home slowly hugging my dragon hide coat tighter to myself. It was starting to get cold and muggy, it would rain tomorrow, but for now I would just soak it all up as I took slow drags of my cigarette, by the time I got home, and back to my apartment I was ready for bed. I couldn't wait to get to bed as I dressed in my pajamas, I was even more excited to wake up for tomorrow, I would be having lunch with Draco Malfoy. Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough as my head hit the pillow a smile on my face…


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I'm feeling pretty shitty right about now because I made you all wait so long for an update. I hope you all really enjoy this chapter and it all makes up for it. Like Artie, French is not something I know a lot about, only what my Cajun grandma always says, and that really wouldn't have worked well for the story, so I used Google Translator, if something isn't right please don't hate me for it. Anyway, if it is recognizable from any of the Harry Potter books, well then it's JKR's wonderful work of art but if not then I came up with it all by my onesies. Love you all for reading and reviewing please keep it up!

* * *

Chapter 12

I woke up and headed straight for the shower. I washed my hair, bathed my body and shaved the three necessities before getting out. I put on a pair of sweat pants and a tank top before heading to the kitchen for my breakfast. I scrambled up some eggs with cheese and made and after I finished my eggs I fixed myself a cup of coffee before walking out to the balcony and lit up a cigarette.

It was starting to drizzle and soon it would be a downpour and there was nothing I could do about it, except wear a raincoat and galoshes when I went out this afternoon for lunch with Draco. It was typical London weather outside for this time of year, wet and muggy.

I can't help but wonder what exactly we would be doing for lunch; all I knew was to meet Draco at The Leaky Cauldron and from there he would apparate us to wherever he had planned. To be truthful I was nervous, but I think the excitement far outweighed it. To be truthful, this is my first date, if you can call it that, in close to three years that my crazy Aunt Louise didn't set me up on.

I decided to start getting ready since it was already going on elven o'clock and I was still in my sweatpants I had put on after my shower. I looked through my wardrobe for something to wear and the entire time I was drawing a blank, and in that moment I felt like a third year about to go on her first Hogsmeade trip with a boy who was more than just her friend. I had robes in just about every color known to the wizarding world yet I couldn't decide, for every set of robes I found I found that many more things wrong them. I was starting to run out of time so I just closed my eyes and pulled the first set I got my hands on off the hanger and threw them on. The robes ended up being periwinkle and ending just above my knee and quickly slipped on my galoshes charming them to match perfectly. I ran to the bathroom and brushed my teeth and pulled my hair into a high ponytail. I used some quick beauty spells to do my makeup naturally with a nice pale pink eye shadow. I hurried up grabbed my purse and clear see through raincoat, making sure I had all of the necessities apparated to The Leaky Cauldron. I looked around for Draco and to my luck he had yet to show up so I walked to the corner and had a seat while I waited for him.

I didn't have long to wait and Draco only kept me waiting for about ten minutes before I saw him walking in from the alley entrance. He was for a lack of a better word, breath taking. I literally had to catch my breath before he noticed how my breath had caught in my chest. As he walked toward me I felt my cheeks getting hotter so I guess it's a good thing I decided to skip the blush before I left the house huh?

When he walked up to me he took my hand a placed a very sweet kiss on the back of it before looking into my eyes and spoke, "Sorry I'm late Artie, I had a last minute meeting that needed taking care of before I could leave my office."

I replied with a small smile gracing my features, "No Draco, barely ten minutes, so no worries."

Draco smiled and took me around the waist, "Are you ready to go?"

I replied with a simple nod too afraid to use my voice for the fear of hearing it crack and he spun us around and we arrived in an alley, as we could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance so the only place we could be is in the middle of muggle Paris.

It was raining in Paris as well, though not as bad as in London. Draco pulled out an umbrella and we walked for about three blocks huddled close with my arm wrapped around his before we ended up at a little bistro called L'Ami Louis in comfortable silence.

We walked inside and he took my raincoat and hung it up on the coatrack and placed his own raincoat next to mine shortly after and the umbrella in the umbrella stand. We sat down at one of the little tables by the window and waited for our waitress to come up to greet us and give us our menus.

As we waited we fell into an easy and light conversation, "So what was up with that outfit and makeover last night?" Once Draco asked the question there was a hint of a smile that he was trying to hide but was barely succeeding.

I broke into laughter as I responded, "Oh that," I said scratching my head, "we finally captured Jaymes O'Shay last night in Madrid and I need to blend in? Was it too much?"

Draco looked a little sick and said, "Oh, that guy, I remember him, total psycho that one, he even made my lunatic aunt look sane at times and that's saying something," and then in a blink of an eye his mood changed and he smirked as he replied, "I barely recognized you, I had to take a second look. Whose idea was that anyway? The outfit I mean?"

My face got hot again as I squeaked out, "The guys! They picked it out so I could blend in with the lowlifes at La Rosa Negra, plus I think they just wanted to see how much skin they could get away with having me show in the name of justice."

With a smirk still on his face Draco replied with a, "Wow…" before our waitress came up with two menus and a tray of piping hot croissants and butter as well as two glasses of water.

Our waitress had mousy brown hair and eyes that held a bored, glassy look to them, and began to introduce herself, "Bonjour, je m'appelle Marie, et je vais vous être serveuse ce soir. Voici vos menus s'il ya quelque chose que vous avez besoin faites le moi savoir et je serai heureux fufill vos demandes."

I starred in total confusion at Marie as the French language flowed out of her mouth and into my ears. Sadly French was never really my strong suit, so the only thing I could do was sit there and try not to look as dumb as I felt.

She continued on as if she didn't even notice my dumbfounded expression, "Qu'est-ce que je peux vous deux à boire pendant que je vous laisse décider de remorquage sur ce que vous voulez manger?"

Draco not missing a beat replied in perfect French, "Certains thé glacé serait bien mademoiselle." Draco then turned to me and asked, "What about you Artie?"

I looked embarrassed as I replied, "Huh? Draco I don't know the first thing in French except how to say hello and where is the bathroom."

Draco laughed slightly and replied, "Oops, I didn't even think about the possibility of you not knowing French, Artie, I'm sorry, she wants to know what you would like to drink."

Understanding graced my face and I replied to Draco, "Oh then a sweet tea with lemon then please."

In turn he smiled at me and relayed to Marie for me, "Et la même chose pour la dame aussi bien avec un quartier de citron serait très bien merci, mademoiselle."

Marie the waitress nodded and walked off as I looked at my menu once again I looked dumbfounded when faced with the French language, this time only in print.

I looked at Draco as he made his own decisions on what to order, and got his attention, "Um Draco, uh, the menu is in French, and I can't read that either so I have no clue what to get all I know is fish sounds good, so um could you order for me please?"

He smirked and replied, "Sure any particular preferences?" to which my reply was a simple, "Nope."

He nodded his head as Marie came back with our drinks and turned to her and said, "J'aimerais avoir une bisque de fruits de mer et une salade et la dame voudrais quelque feuille saumon cuit au four avec un côté des greens s'il vous plaît." Once again she left with a nod and once again we were alone.

We both began talking about our respective jobs and the happening of our separate departments as of late while we waited for our food to arrive. It wasn't long at all before the food arrived and once we were each served Marie left us to our own devices while she wiped down the other tables that weren't being used at the time.

I smiled and looked up at Draco and said, "This is really great salmon Draco, you made a great choice thank you so much! How's yours?"

Draco replied with a small smile, "I'm glad you like it, that's why I brought you here, I knew you of all people would enjoy the simplicity this place has to offer. Oh and mine's fine by the way the food here is always top notch." Draco then sighed, "About a year ago, I brought Astoria here, and she complained the whole time about how simple this all was and didn't fit her tastes at all. It's sad really, because this is one of my favorite places to eat. I wanted to share this place with you, when I was little, before I started Hogwarts, my mother used to take me here when we would come to visit her family without my father. Father and mother's French side of the family didn't agree well so the time I had in France makes up some of my best memories. Mother gave her cottage in the French countryside to me on my seventeenth birthday because with me it would be safe and only I knew about it, not even my father knows about it, but it was our getaway from London Pureblood Society and all of the drama that surrounds it."

I sat there as Draco talked and felt my own face light up as I watched the light burst forth from what appeared to be deep within his soul. In that moment I felt like I was privy to a world not many were allowed to witness.

I couldn't help myself, I told Draco of my own childhood memories as well, "As you know, I was raised my Aunt Louise, my parents died during the Voldermort's first rise to power when I was still just a baby, but during the summers, my aunt would try to take me on trips so I could better understand where I came from you know? My dad's name was Angus Michael Jameson, and he grew up in Dublin, Ireland. I spent a lot of summers there in this little bed and breakfast with my aunt. I picked up some Gaelic over the years, though not as much as I would have like. My mother's name was, Maria Eleni Demetrios, and was half Greek half English. That's where Artemis comes from the Greek Goddess of the Hunt and Moon by the way. Anyway, mom grew up in England and went to Hogwarts where she met dad and they became part of the first Order of the Phoenix. Even though Aunt Louise was my mother's aunt on her mother's side she still wanted me to know of my Greek heritage so we also traveled there during the summers as well. Those are the best memories of my childhood, traveling with my crazy Aunt Louise through Ireland and Greece. We didn't have a lot, but what we did we treasured you know? She really gave me all that she could give on what money she could spare from the money my parent's left behind for me."

By the time we both finished our stories, our food was completely gone and the rain was starting to clear up. Draco paid the check sometime during my story and it was getting on about time to leave because Draco still had to go back to work and I had to go to work myself tonight.

Draco walked me back to the coatrack and slipped my now dry raincoat back onto my shoulders and then donned his own as well. He grabbed the umbrella and held it in his left hand and opened the door to the bistro for me. I walked out and reached into my purse to grab a cigarette and my lighter.

Draco saw this and took out his own pack of muggle cigarettes and lit the cigarette I had placed between my own lips before lighting his own with a zippo of his own. He laughed and said, "You know, it's actually a relief that I know now I can smoke around you without having to worry about getting my ear chewed off. My father can't stand the fact that I smoke cigarettes because it is such a muggle thing to do. My mother hates smell of it on my clothes, and Astoria, well she just seems to hate just about everything I do except spend money on her. To tell the truth I smoke around her just to piss her off the way she pisses me off."

We stood there and smoked our cigarettes under the bistro's awning standing close to each other as we did so. I couldn't help but think, 'When I'm with Draco, I feel like I can be myself, even more so than I did with Jarrod. I feel like I found this friend I didn't even know I really had until this moment. It makes me wonder what would have happened during Hogwarts if Draco and I had been more than just acquaintances, who would talk from time to time, work on projects together and cause distractions so that the other could have a little peace even if only for a moment.'

I was pulled out of my musings as Draco grabbed my left hand and led me toward the alley he had originally apparated us into when we arrived in Paris. When we reached the opening of the alley he turned me toward him and gently grabbed my chin as he slowly closed his eyes and leaned in closer to me as I felt myself doing the same thing. My eyes were completely shut by the time our lips touched softly in a kiss that at first was light as air, but soon I found myself wrapping my arms around his neck while he moved the hand that was on my chin to behind my head while the other snaked its way around my waist pulling me closer to his body.

Draco took charge of the kiss and I could feel it morph from innocent and romantic to something more urgent and passionate. I gave into his kiss like it was second nature, and perhaps it was, because it just felt so natural and right. Draco had a taste that I had never experienced with any other man, it wasn't just man or tooth paste, it was something that could only be described as purely Draco.

His body felt so right pressed against mine, and I would have happily stayed that way if the need for air hadn't become so great. I felt him reluctantly pull away from me as we both tried almost in vain to catch our breaths, but once we did we smiled at each other. We were still wrapped around each other and I felt Draco lean in and whisper in my right ear, "Artie, I feel so at home with you, in this very moment, I really don't want to apparate back to London and go back to work, and I certainly don't want to go back home tonight, but one thing I know I want to do is keep seeing you."

I felt my breath catch at his words, "I want to keep seeing you too Draco," I leaned back away from him just enough to be able to look in his eyes and see his slightly bruised and swollen lips curl into a gentle smile, "It might seem crazy and I almost can't believe I'm about to say something like this, I feel like I'm at home with you like this, it just feels right, maybe even more right than anything I have ever felt in my whole life."

The second I finished getting the words out of my mouth, I found myself pulling Draco into a kiss that rivaled the one we just shared, but sadly we both had to get back to the lives and responsibilities awaiting us in London. I slowly pulled away as I felt him pick me up slightly and spin around and apparate us both back to The Leaky Cauldron.

We pulled away before we could be noticed in the position we were in not a moment ago. Even though it was no one's business we still needed to keep what was happening to ourselves if we ever wanted it to go anywhere if I was in fact the woman he chose to marry in the end, because if Mr. Greengrass or Draco's father were to find out about what was happening between us they could force the wedding to be moved up.

Draco whispered so only I could hear him, "I'll keep in touch, expect an owl tomorrow morning. We'll have to do this again, see you later Artie…"

My whispered reply was, "I'll be waiting, Draco until then." Once he made a slight nod in acknowledgement of hearing me he looked me in the eyes one last time before he turned away from me and walked out to the back alley and the entrance to Diagon Alley and back to the Ministry to finish out the rest of the work day. I on the other hand pulled out another cigarette, lit it up and walked out the opposite entrance and the walked the few blocks back to my apartment. By now it was close to two o'clock in the afternoon and I had to be at work at five though since our mission was so eventful yesterday, tonight would be nothing out of the ordinary, just the run of the mill work I was so very accustomed to.

By the time I returned home my cigarette was gone. I walked through the door feeling like I was floating on air. I hung up my raincoat and my took off my Galoshes by the front door, walked to my couch and fell on to it sighing in true contentment for the first time in a very, very long time…


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: So sorry it took so long for this chapter. I really haven't had time for much of anything other than taking care of my grandma here lately. We took her to the hospital today and they told us something completely bogus and sent her home. I don't own anything noticeable. Please keep reading and reviewing. PS hope this doesn't seem rushed and I had to do a little time skip for the rest of the story to make sense and get a move on. Love you all, Skye!

Chapter 13

So I guess you could say Draco and I have been dating for about a month and a half now. So much has happen in the last six weeks. Draco and I haviie been on ten dates since that day we were at that wonderful little bistro in Paris. It feels like every time I'm near him I get these butterflies in my stomach that I have never experienced to such intensity before. It's crazy to think something like this could happen to me, especially thinking back to our Hogwarts days. If someone were tell me back then that I would be here now, I think I would have laughed right in their faces, but I am.

We see each other every day as I walk in to the Ministry and he walks out, we share secret little glances and smiles that are only meant for each other. I would have to say the greatest moment we have shared to date was little over a month ago.

I remember we were out in the English countryside and the sky had overtime slowly become dark and cloudy. That morning the area was cloud free and the sun was shining. We had decided to just spend the day together and I had packed us a small picnic for us to share. We were sitting on an old quilt about ready to tuck into the food I had packed when I felt the first raindrop fall onto the tip of my nose and within a moment the sky opened up around us and in the blink of and it there was a down pour.

Draco grabbed the blanket while I grabbed the basket and we ran for a hole in the mountain side that wasn't very far away. We huddled in close about ten feet inside the cave as Draco casted a quick drying spell to dry our clothes, hair and the quilt. Sure could have just apparated back my London flat and just enjoyed each other's company there, but the surprising warmth and quietness in that little cave that made us feel at home. It took several hours before the rain let up and we were finally able to leave that little cave, but in that time we just spent our time snuggled close together while we just talked and shared a wonderful, long snog. By this time we had become extremely comfortable in each other's presence and the long silent moments weren't awkward merely quiet and peaceful.

Draco had been to my flat several times and I had found out for someone who grew up in a house full of house elves, he knew his way around a kitchen. He had attributed this little fact to his summers in France with his mother. At an early age she had insisted on teaching him how to cook, because there was always the chance that no one would be around to cook for him and she refused to think of the option of him starving or eating something out of the can with only a heating spell to warm it up.

So far, even though we have yet to spend a night together, even just spooning, it was obvious the sexual tension was starting to get to us. After our third date, we had agreed not to rush into bed with each other even though we were more than ready to. Neither of us had asked the other how long it had been since the other had been "sexually active" nor had either of us divulged that information, but still there were moments that I was surprised we were able to restrain ourselves. I mean come on it's been three years since I've done it, I'm sure any normal woman would be crawling in her skin by now, especially if there was a chance with the Slytherin Sex God.

But on to other matters, in the last month and a half, Jasmine Reynolds went into labor three weeks early and delivered a beautiful and healthy baby boy which she had decided to name after her father, Daniel Michael Reynolds. Still, Jasmine won't be returning back to work at least for another four weeks. I'll admit right when we all went to the hospital after Jasmine delivered little Daniel, that first time I held him in my arms, I just melted. Pure and simple, as a hardened auror, I became a total pile of complete mush the first time I held that beautiful baby in my arms.

I remember Ron, who is soon to become a father himself, began sputtering and I saw his ears go red as little Daniel spit up on him. Harry, well, Harry just sat there very stiffly tucking Daniel in the crook of his arm like a muggle, American football as the baby began to cry. Emile on the other had just walked up to Harry and carefully took the babe in his arms and started gently rocking him back and forth and before we knew it the babe curled into the man that was holding him and fell asleep. Emile had two baby sisters and one younger brother, for him it was just second nature with Daniel, considering his baby sisters were somewhat of an oops being born fifteen years after their oldest brother and thirteen after their youngest.

On the other hand, work was work, albeit slower than usual. Perhaps after Jaymes, any Death Eaters still out there have become more diligent and less reckless, less and less of them were coming out of the woodwork. No doubt there were still plenty out there, but the sightings have all but come to a standstill, still though other illegal activities have occurred keeping us plenty busy. This included a few raids here and there for dark items, breaking up a few illegal duels that had broken out, even going after a local ring of thieves breaking into Diagon Alley.

In the present though I was sitting in my fluffy armchair while Trixie was out catching mice or whatever it was she did while she was out. I was reading a book that I had recently found down at that little stand were I tend to by my cigarettes. It looked interesting, well at least for a muggle romance novel. It was about some devilishly handsome werewolf and some virgin muggle woman. After spending so much time with Moony during summers at 12 Grimmauld Place, I have to say, with absolute certainty; this book has it completely wrong. Werewolves did not change at will, did not look as described, and finally the next day usually had Moony looking like hell, not ruggedly handsome with sex hair feeling completely normal. But alas, if muggles knew the real truth about so many things in our world, I doubt they would base so much of their entertainment off of us.

I had work in a few hours so after ten chapters of my new book I had decided to it was time to head off to the showers and start getting ready. I washed my hair, scrubbed my body clean and finally ridded my body of all the unwanted hair on my legs and my underarms. Finally feeling human again I climbed out of the shower dried off and walked toward the closet to get dressed in my usual outfit I wear to work. Once I was dressed I filled Trixie's water and food bowls and went out to the balcony for a cigarette.

Trixie flew past dropping a package on my lap and straight to her perch for some much needed rest. The package was not really a big package but not really a small package either. I looked for any type of indication of what or from who it could be. It was a light and square box wrapped in silver paper with plain silver twine. If I shook it, it rattled around, but even with years of shaking Christmas presents this package had me completely baffled. There was no handwriting on the package, just a generic To: Artemis. Well…I guess that would indicate that they person know me, at least on some level, because it was only my first name and no mention on my last one.

I sat there with the cigarette hanging from my lips while I held the package in both hands and just dove in and started to undo the twine. It slid from the package and I placed it on the small table next to my chair and then started on the paper. Once it was off I was faced with a brown cardboard box with a lid. I lifted the lid and was faced with a note and an unusual but beautiful black leather choker necklace with a silver heart pendent a heart shaped sapphire at its center.

_Dear Artie,_

_ I saw this and thought of you. It is beautiful, but at the same time it is unexpected. Be sure to keep it close to your heart. I hope you'll wear it the next time I see you._

_Can't wait to see you, Draco_

I folded the note and place it back into the box. I took out the chocker and while looked heavy, in the end it was light as a feather. I quickly placed it around my neck and hurried off toward The Leaky Cauldron. Once I arrived, usual table and I sat at my usual table in my usual seat while I ate a bowl of potato soup and a side of garlic bread and drank a butterbeer before hurrying off to work.

As I was entering the Ministry, I saw Draco exiting the ministry as I was making my way in. We exchanged our usual secret smile and glance as we each kept on walking. He made his way out of the front door as I made my way to my office.

I arrived in my office and greeted my fellow workers. Harry walked toward me and handed me an envelope. I looked him in the eyes as he said, "The Minister wanted me to give this to you, he needs you to go on a mission, you leave in the morning."

I opened the envelope and began to read through its contents…BODYGUARD FOR A MINISTRY OFFICAL. BEGINNING TOMORROW. TIME FRAME THREE MONTHS.

How come these words were filling me with an uneasy sense of dread…?


End file.
